Everyone Thinks I Dodged a Bullet
by MonDieu666
Summary: When Hyde and Jackie are the only ones to see a murder, they're placed into witness protection. Living under the same roof is one thing but lines begin to blur when they're forced to pretend to be married and memories from the past begin to resurface.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: This is set after season 8 but I've not watched season 8 on the advice of shippers gone before me so I've had to piece together what happened. So where I deviated from canon, that's why. Hope you enjoy, please review.**

Jackie Burkhart had been called many things by many people, but no one would have cause to call her a quitter.

So her life wasn't perfect at the moment – _so_ far from perfect – but that didn't mean she was going to give up. She couldn't disappoint her adoring public like that. She put her hands on her hips and fixed the crowd at the roller disco with her signature 'look', a cool combination of sultry and upbeat.

Those years of cheerleading weren't going to waste as she worked the audience. She was glad the bright light obscured their watching faces. Jackie knew her friends were out there in the dark, cheering her on if they knew what was good for them.

Donna, infused with the giddiness of Eric's recent return, had suggested they'd go to cheer Jackie on. At first Jackie has been on the fence about their attendance, after all, she was really only competing because of the cash prize. She desperately needed money.

Her career had taken a sharp downward turn about the same time her relationship had. The thought came to her unbidden and the sadness followed afterwards like a dull ache. Jackie hoped Hyde wasn't out there but knew her odds weren't good. Her stomach cramped as she remembered a time she would have given anything for him to have come to something like this to support her. His presence at group activities had been steadily increasing and at first Jackie had cautiously allowed herself to hope it was ploy to gain her company. But now he only seemed to get enjoyment from insulting her mercilessly to the point where Jackie was beginning to suspect he was deliberately seeking out opportunities to make her feel like crap.

It had even gotten worse after his marriage was revealed to be a scam. Jackie optimistically thought its end would evaporate some of the negative tension between them.

Unfortunately Hyde's disdain was more enduring than his drunken vows and his new found hobby of torturing Jackie continued.

Shock turned to hurt, hurt to bitterness, bitterness to dislike. Well, joke's on him, Jackie thought defiantly to herself. She knew she looked incredibly hot in her tiny shorts and blown out hair. In fact, Jackie half wanted him here to see her in all her glory. Nothing got Jackie pumped more than competition followed by inevitable victory.

Her dance partner Fez was wowing everyone with some pretty spectacular moves. Her friend's enthusiasm warranted a real smile. Living with Fez had been surprisingly easy.

Sure, Jackie had to pretend she didn't notice the loss of a few pairs of underwear in the first month of cohabitation but over all, it had gone smoothly. Fez had even handled her coming on to him with grace.

Jackie winced internally as she remembered her brief infatuation with Fez, who had seemed just as stunned by her interest as all their other friends. She had been spiralling out of control and Fez had been the most stable part of her life so she had clung to him. At first he had gotten carried away with the possibility of being with Jackie, after all she was pretty damn attractive, but when he had realised she was rebounding, he had gently and kindly let her down.

Jackie remembered the conversation they'd had at 10pm on their second hand couch. It had made her cry for the first time in weeks as her denial and distraction were simultaneously snatched away. But it was also the last time she'd shed tears for Steven Hyde. That was six months ago.

Now his insults were met with withering glares and, increasingly, abuse of her own. No one knew how to hurt a person quite like a scorned lover. She knew some of her barbed comments must have wounded him. A stranger might not have seen their impact, what with his sunglasses shield and defensive body language, but Jackie knew better. She had seen the way he had to take one particularly deep breath after certain words she'd flung at him.

It was in these moments that she almost understood why he attacked her relentlessly. She felt the flush of victory and a vicious sense of accomplishment when she landed a direct hit. It was akin to adrenaline and Jackie would bask in the triumph until she was home alone and then she wondered exactly how they had got there.

And worse, she knew the answer. They had both messed up. Two teenagers trying to negotiate big feelings, their own egos and their own fears. Jackie wasn't blameless but she would never take the mantle for most malicious. Hyde didn't forget or forgive.

Fez's warm hand wrapped around hers, jolting her into the present. Thank goodness she had a commanding stage presence and therefore her wandering mind wouldn't affect their score. As if psychic, Fez made sure to catch her eye and give her a warm, encouraging grin.

It induced a rush of genuine affection in Jackie. He continued to be supportive and when Jackie had hurried home with the flyer for the competition he hadn't hesitated before agreeing to sign up with her.

The prize was a thousand dollars and, split down the middle, that was the kind of money she could do something with. What exactly she wasn't sure but at least she'd have some options. She didn't want to have to ask either of her parents for money. Her father was still in jail and that had killed their already weak relationship. Pam was off in Barcelona for the summer, enjoying the sun and sangria. She called Jackie every week, demonstrating a new found consideration that hadn't existed when Jackie was a child. Jackie appreciated the motherly gesture but she wasn't fooling herself into thinking Pam was someone she could depend upon.

Forcing herself to think happy thoughts, Jackie's eyes glittered and her body turned technicolour from the flashing lights. Letting Fez lead she moved around the rink with easy grace and balance. Jackie might not be the brains of their little group but she'd defy any of the others to pull off some of the more complicated cheering stunts she had. Jackie knew her body and appreciated what it could do.

Throwing herself completely into the routine, they finished off the last few moves flawlessly. Jackie had worked up a light sweat but the thunderous applause made it seem worthwhile. She fanned her face with her hand and smiled coquettishly.

Fez tugged her off the rink and Jackie waited anxiously for the judge's verdict. Arms wrapped around her from the side and squeezed her tight.

"You did so good!" Donna announced loudly, talking over the disco surging from the speakers. Eric and Kelso nodded in agreement. Hyde was thankfully absent.

Jackie returned the hug with a grin. She liked this Donna. They'd gone through a rough patch when news of the marriage was first revealed. It had taken a while to understand that Donna had truly been torn between the guy she'd known since preschool and her best friend.

A long chat with some apologising from the red head had put them on the mend. Eric's recent return had restored some equilibrium to the group. He was standing just behind Donna, his skin tan from his time in Africa. He and Donna had fallen back into a relationship without missing a step.

Jackie was happy for them but seeing their healthy relationship often felt like a punch in the stomach. She tried to keep it from showing on her face but Donna had picked up on it. While she couldn't not be excited about having her boyfriend back, she did make an effort not to be too affectionate with him when Jackie was around. She also made sure that they got to spend some quality girl time together, just the two of them.

"You think so?" Jackie asked. It was an empty question, she knew her and Fez had rocked that dance floor.

"Hell yeah," Kelso contributed, dropping an arm over Fez's shoulders. "You guys are so gonna win."

"We did do well, didn't we?" Fez stated with a broad grin.

Kelso nodded. "Yeah and you two were the best looking. Everyone knows the attractive people always win." He took a sip from the soda in his hand, completely confident in his assessment of the situation.

Eric raised an eyebrow but didn't dispute the somewhat flawed logic. Jackie had noticed a change in him after his time overseas. Africa had made him calmer and more mature. He wasn't as compelled to correct people these days. He'd always been the hardest person for Jackie to talk to and it was because she knew he thought she was a little bit ridiculous and a lot shallow (which wasn't entirely unjustified) but since his return they'd actually managed to have some proper conversations. Jackie was surprised but she was actually interested in his experiences overseas. After all Jackie was an urban, worldly girl trapped in a small town. And when he found out she was struggling with money, Eric and Donna had appeared on the doorstep with donuts and the jobs section of the paper. They hadn't found her anything but she'd appreciated the gesture all the same.

A hushed quiet settled when one of the judges took a microphone and stood up.

The butterflies in Jackie's stomach got more violent as he announced third and second place. She discreetly crossed her fingers.

 _Please,_ she prayed silently, _I need a break._

"And the winner is…. Jackie Burkhart and-"

The rest of his words were cut off by the loud cheering that erupted from their friendship group and the rest of the audience. Jackie released a joyful squeal of her own, throwing her arms around Fez with glee.

Fez dragged her on to the stage where a trophy and, more importantly, a cheque was waiting for them. Jackie's eyes brimmed with tears of happiness as her heart suddenly felt too big for her chest to contain.

Fez kissed her cheek and swept her away from him so she could take a bow. Jackie relished in the sweeping sounds of adoration.

When they ran off, Kelso swept her into a bear hug, lifting her feet off the ground. She was too excited to scold him.

"We need to celebrate," Donna decided, leaning in to inspect the golden trophy. It was nothing special, you could buy one from the same place that cut keys, and the inscription was generic. But the piece of paper Jackie clutched in her hand was what she wanted.

"We have beer at the apartment," Fez said breathlessly. Kelso had released Jackie only to embrace Fez with the same passion.

"Alright, beer!" Kelso cheered, starting to lead the way through the crowd.

"Alright, beer!" Eric echoed with a shrug and followed his friend. Jackie started to walk but then slapped her palm to her forehead.

"Oh shoot, my jacket is backstage."

"Want me to come with?" Fez asked.

Jackie shook her head. "I'll run and grab it and meet you all at home. Remember, I drove my car here so I'll just drive home."

Jackie waved goodbye to her friends and disappeared into the crowd that had filled out the centre rink. It took her longer than she expected to get through as people kept stopping her to offer her their congratulations.

She was on a high when she finally got out back. She used the term 'backstage' loosely. It was just a cramped space where equipment was stored, where competitors could put their bags and where kids could sneak off to make out. Jackie dodged one such couple kissing frantically in a dark crevice.

Jackie located her jacket and slipped it over her shoulders. She had cooled down since she had stopped dancing. She quickly decided that she would slip out the back entry rather than try and navigate the crowd again. Sure she'd have to walk down a dark alley but if she ran, she'd be back out front on the main street in no time.

The old door was heavy and the handle had a tendency to get stuck so Jackie grabbed the handle with force and threw her small body behind the action.

The door shoved open but Jackie felt it meet resistance at the same time she heard an aggravated "ow!"

Jackie stumbled, the unexpected voice causing her to jump and lose her balance. She would recognise that voice anywhere just from the way her heart beat faster upon hearing it.

Steadying herself, Jackie looked up at the annoyed face of Steven Hyde.

…

Hyde wasn't exactly sure why he'd managed to attach himself to the group this evening. Their big plans consisted of going to the local roller disco to cheer on Jackie and Fez, but Hyde had figured it would be a perfect chance to rag on Jackie.

His natural gift for insults combined with her nervous energy would make for endless fun. So what if he was being a dick, it was the way he managed having her in his life. Most people broke up and that was that. _They'd_ broken up and been forced to stay in each other's life. Turns out, neither of them had very many friends outside their immediate group.

Hyde just hadn't considered the fact that since Jackie was competing she wouldn't even be around to hear the latest burns he'd come up with. He'd spent most of his afternoon in the record shop creatively crafting some pretty wicked cut downs. Time wasted apparently.

So now he was just stuck a roller disco with shitty music.

He'd spent some time flirting with a chick that had seemed keen but like usual she had started to bore him after a while. He knew the drill too well these days. Sly flirtations, simpering laughs, hair tossing and then that persistent empty feeling gnawing at his belly.

It happened more and more often, setting in quicker than ever before. The only thing that truly got his heart rate up was making Jackie miserable. Better than any drug he'd ever sampled.

If Jackie had been around to witness it, he would have stuck it out with the girl. He'd developed his acting talents over the last couple of months and he could really put on a show, pretending like the girl he was talking to was the most interesting thing he'd come across in his life.

 _God that is so fascinating. Tell me more about the moment you decided fuchsia was your colour!_

But he wasn't going to suffer for sufferings sake so Hyde had ditched the girl and subsequently the group. They were earnestly hoping that Jackie was going to win and Hyde was just not down for that. He got a disconcerting amount of comfort from seeing how far off her pedestal Jackie had fallen.

Sometimes he felt brief moments of guilt but he shrugged them off. This was who he was. A vindictive son of a bitch and a moron for thinking he could have a happy ending with the shallow cheerleader.

When Jackie and Fez were announced as the next performance, Hyde suddenly couldn't stomach seeing her. He'd snuck out back and opened the beer he'd smuggled in his jacket. The alley was blessedly quiet and even if it did smell a bit like garbage and something else that Hyde didn't care to identify, he far preferred it to the press of the people inside.

He wished he'd had a chance to participate in a quick circle session to take the edge off but he'd had to work late and in the end there was no time. He was going to have to make do with the beer.

Hyde slumped against the door and cracked the can open. It fizzed up unexpectedly, spilling over his hand and onto the ground. Hyde cursed angrily. Kelso had probably been at it again. Left unsupervised, his tall friend could do as much damage as a small child.

Hyde took a sip. It was too fizzy and too warm but it settled his nerves.

"Ah hell, I can't stay mad at you," Hyde joked to the can. He lost track of time, delaying going back in to find his friends. He checked his watch and realised he couldn't drag it out much longer. He swigged the last of the alcohol and lobbed it into the large skip bin.

The door swung open abruptly and caught him hard in the shoulder. "Ow!" he growled, clutching his arm.

To his complete astonishment, the culprit was none other than Jackie. Her mouth had dropped open and Hyde hastily shoved his glasses further up his nose to hide the reaction of his eyes. Even now, after everything, whenever he saw her unexpectedly a burst of white heat travelled the length of his spine. Once upon a time that had been a pleasant sensation but these days nausea took hold almost immediately.

"Resorting to bodily harm now?" he demanded. He knew it hadn't been intentional but crap, it had hurt.

Jackie regained her composure quickly. All his zen lessons had paid off and her surprise was swiftly replaced by a stony mask.

"Whatever, Hyde," she retorted crossing her arms and glaring up at him. She never called him Steven now. Which was fine with him. Stupid name anyway.

"I should sue you! Oh that's right, you have no money anymore."

Jackie merely arched an eyebrow and retrieved a small rectangle of paper from her pocket and waved it under his nose. "What's this then?"

"That's a cheque, Jackie. Any more difficult objects you need identified?" he said it slowly, like she was stupid. She barely blinked. She was harder to rile and he really had to work to get that gasp, that flicker in her eyes, that let him know he'd gotten under her skin.

"Incorrect, Hyde, as per usual. This is confirmation that I am, and always will be awesome."

"If you're offering it to me to compensate for all the emotional suffering you've inflicted on me, then I accept."

She rolled her eyes. "Dream on, Hyde." She tried to step around him.

"If you're involved then it's always a nightmare."

"As fun as this is, I have to go. I've got friends waiting for me that don't just hang out with me because they pity me." Her cheeks were filling with colour and her eyes flashed angrily.

That was below the belt but he had to acknowledge it was a good burn. He smirked; the meaner she got the more he knew that he was getting to her. If she shouted at him, he'd ride that high for days.

Hyde was about to inflict the death blow, something about being second choice to a stripper, when a dark car pulled into the entrance of the alley. The windows were tinted nearly black, the lights were off and there was no number plate.

Hyde's eyes narrowed behind his shades, instantly on alert. He was street savvy enough to know that was suspicious. And naïve Jackie was walking straight towards it. She did have a troublesome habit of getting involved with things and people that would be bad for her.

Without thinking, Hyde reached out and grabbed the back of her jacket. "Wait up a second, Jackie."

"Get your hands off me!" she spluttered, clearly flustered. He ignored her.

As he yanked her backwards, Hyde realised this was the first time he had touched in her months. Some part of him registered that but most of his attention was on the dark car.

"Shut up, Jackie," he instructed, not releasing his hold on the girl. With his free hand, he tried to open the door to the disco but it was jammed shut. He cursed and Jackie struggled against his grip.

Hyde couldn't try and open the door and control Jackie at the same time. She was surprisingly wriggly for someone so small. She broke away from him and made her escape.

"God, what is your problem?" she snapped as she strode away from him. Up ahead the doors opened and Jackie became aware for the first time that the car was blocking her exit. Two men got out of the car, one tall and bald and the other of average height with brown hair. Even from a distance, Hyde could see the man was well dressed. Only one type of person wore a suit and hung around in dark alleys.

He lunged after Jackie, wrapping his arms around her middle and hauling her backwards behind the bin. The men didn't see them and Hyde thought a hurried prayer just in case some deity was listening.

Jackie seemed to finally understand that something was not right. She was tense against him but she wasn't fighting the grip he had on her. He was clutching her tightly, not willing to risk her walking into the midst of danger.

He could hear muffled voices and the sounds of a scuffle. Unable to help himself, he glanced around the corner of the bin, trusting that they were enough in shadows to keep hidden.

The bald man had pulled another person out of trunk of the car. He was gagged and bound and bucking like his life depended on it. It probably did. Hyde's shoulders tensed – this was bad!

Jackie's fingers were digging sharply into his arms and he realised she was watching what was happening now. Curiosity had gotten the better of her too. Her eyes were wide and her breathing was shallow.

The scrawny man was pushed to his knees and he was begging but it was falling on deaf ears. Almost in slow motion, a gun was pulled out from under the jacket. Before Hyde's brain could process the image fully, the kneeling man was shot decisively in the head.

Next to him, Jackie screamed and he shoved his hand over her mouth. But it was too late, the two men had seen them.

Bullets suddenly ricocheted down the alley. "Shit!" he swore and pushed Jackie further behind the bin, trying to shield her as best she could with his body. Blood was pounding through his veins as Hyde tried to come up with a plan of action.

Jackie scrambled to her knees and started grabbing at the door, trying to jerk it open. Hyde hurried to help her, adding his strength to her efforts. Jackie pounded the door with her fists.

"Help! Let us in."

Hyde didn't like the odds of anyone hearing them over the disco music.

"God. Damn. ABBA!" he snarled.

The door wasn't going to give. They were going to die in a gritty alley that smelt like urine! Hyde inhaled sharply, maybe he could distract them long enough to give Jackie a fighting chance. If he waited for them to come further down the street, he could rush them. A small hand was curled in his shirt and eyes wide with panic met his.

"If you get a chance, run!" he told her firmly.

"No!" Jackie told him determinedly. "I'm not leaving you. We both run."

"Dammit, Jackie! Now is not the time to be bossy!"

A piercing wail rent the air. Hyde knew that sound anywhere. The cops. His shoulders slumped in relief. He'd never thought he'd be pleased to hear that the police were coming.

There were a few more pops and the hissing sound of bullets passing harmlessly over their heads, fired erratically as the men rushed to their car. The roar of the engine was followed by the squeal of tires.

Hyde sagged against the wall, almost vibrating from adrenaline. He felt jacked up and exhausted at the same time. Jackie collapsed next to him, letting go of his shirt. They sat shoulder to shoulder in silence until they heard the police.

Hyde shouted to them that they were down here, not wanting to get shot by a cop with a twitchy trigger finger. When they were instructed to walk out into the open with their hands up, Hyde raggedly got to his feet. He didn't offer his hand to Jackie - his body felt burnt from where she had touched him earlier - put his hands above his head and stepped out into the flashing red and blue lights.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: if you like, please review.**

…

Jackie sat at a table feeling very small in a big room. She was clutching a cup of warm tea in her hands. She hadn't drunk any of it but the heat felt nice against her palms. A blanket was draped haphazardly around her shoulders but she still felt chilled down to her bones.

Her knee had gotten pretty scraped up in the alley but it was cleaned and dressed now curtsey of Kitty Foreman.

The police had bundled them into the back of their car and driven them to the station. They had asked who their parents were and Jackie had hesitated.

Hyde had answered for the pair of them. "Call Kitty and Red Foreman. They'll do for both of us."

"You two siblings then?"

Hyde had snorted. "Nope!"

The cop flicked his confused eyes to look in the mirror but Hyde was already staring out the window unwilling to offer more information and Jackie hadn't found her voice yet.

Kitty had come running in like her skirt was on fire. Hyde was closest and she seized him into a crushing embrace. Red was not far behind, "what did you two dumbasses do?"

To Jackie's chagrin but not her surprise, Red was tailed by Bob and the rest of the gang. Her annoyance at being the centre of attention softened when Bob grabbed her into a tight hug. He looked like he might have been crying a bit.

"I was so worried," he mumbled into her shoulder. Kitty shooed him out of the way so she could have her turn practically strangling Jackie with a hug. There was a few minutes of chaos where Red continued to demand what they'd done and Kitty screeched for a first aid kit like one of them had been shot.

Hyde had been hustled off to a room with a cop she recognised. He had been Kelso's mentor when he'd been a cadet with the police.

Once Kitty was done with Jackie's knee, she had been whisked off too. The cop was female and had kind eyes. She'd seen how Jackie was shaking and gotten her the tea and the blanket.

"You should drink the tea," Officer Simpson prompted.

"I don't like tea," Jackie confessed.

Simpson smiled, not at all phased. "I loaded it up with sugar. It'll help with the shock."

Jackie narrowed her eyes at the woman. What did she know? "I'm not in shock."

"Course not," Simpson agreed amicably. Jackie tried to maintain the indignant glare but Simpson continued to smile pleasantly at her. Jackie took a tiny sip and wrinkled her nose. It didn't taste very good but Simpson was right; there was a lot of sugar in there. The tremor in her hands eased slightly.

"Is Steven… is Hyde alright?" She managed to correct herself and Simpson didn't understand the significance of her slip. Jackie recalled him roughly shoving her out of the way, getting between her and danger. In all the commotion she hadn't really gotten a good sense of what state her ex-boyfriend was in. She took another mouthful of tea. God how she wished it was spiked.

"He's fine."

Simpson appeared satisfied with her mental state. She pulled out a big book and dropped it on the table.

"I need you to tell me everything that happened and then have a look through a few mug shots to see if you can ID the guys in the alley."

Jackie nodded, sitting up straighter in her chair. She wanted this done so she could go home, have a shower and get into bed. It had been a stupidly long night and far more drama than even she could stand.

…

"You wanna take off the glasses?"

"Nope."

"How about some water?"

"Nope."

"You gonna say anything besides 'nope'?"

"Hmm… nope."

Hyde kept his arms crossed and slouched in the chair. He had his hackles way, way up.

Officer Kennedy sighed at the young man's belligerent attitude. "You know you're not in trouble right?"

Hyde grunted. "That's what they all say, then they nail you, man."

Kennedy tried not to roll his eyes and Hyde tried not to be offended.

"Shouldn't I have a lawyer?"

"Only if you're in trouble! Which you're not!" Kennedy exclaimed exasperated. "Should have taken the girl," he mumbled under his breath but Hyde still heard.

The mention of Jackie made him lean forward. "She's ok right? She seemed a bit spacey before."

Kennedy lifted his eyebrows. "She's fine. By all accounts you kept her alive."

Hyde could see through what he was doing. He was trying to play on what he suspected was Hyde's affections for Jackie. Good luck there; that ship had long sailed.

"Whatever, man. Wouldn't have been in trouble if she had kept her fat mouth shut. But, no. She just _had_ to scream."

"She did see someone get shot," Kennedy pointed out slowly, putting a book on the table and pushing it towards Hyde. "Perhaps one of these guys pulled the trigger?"

"Oh believe me, she's loud at the best of times." Hyde tugged the book closer, letting his anger warm him up. He started flipping through the pages violently, eyes skimming the pages from behind his shades.

"So black car pulls up, they pull a man out of the trunk of the car, and they execute him?"

"That's about the size of it." Hyde paused on one of the pages, the mugshot in the top right hand corner.

"You see someone you recognise?" Kennedy asked leaning forward. This was probably the most exciting thing that had happened in Point Place in his entire career.

"That's the guy in the suit," Hyde decided, tapping the picture with his index finger. He rotated it so Kennedy could see the picture the right way up.

Hyde knew it wasn't reassuring when Kennedy blanched. The cop let out a low whistle.

"That's Victor Ivanov. He is a Chicago mobster. He's a bad man."

"If he's so bad why is he walking around, ruining my evening?" Hyde was beginning to feel really tired but kept his face free from emotion. He'd be damned before he'd show a moment of vulnerability in front of the Fuzz.

"Because we can never link him to any crimes," Kennedy explained animatedly.

"Why not?"

"There have never been any conclusive evidence. Never any… witnesses." He looked up at Hyde who was beginning to get an unsettled feeling in his belly. He knew this wasn't going to end all tidy with a witness statement.

"Did he see your faces?" Kennedy asked even more urgently.

Hyde met the cop's eyes dead on. "Ah crap."

…

The chief's office was too tiny for the amount of people who had squeezed in there. The chief tried to maintain an air of dignity but it had all become slightly too absurd.

Jackie was seated directly across from the chief, flanked by Kitty, Red and Bob. Donna, Eric, Fez and Kelso has somehow managed to negotiate their way into the room and they lined the back wall; unusually quiet and serious.

Hyde had settled in the corner of the room as far away from the man in uniform as he could manage. His arms were folded as per usual and his gaze kept going to the door as if he was contemplating a dramatic escape.

For the first time in a long time, Jackie was on the same page as Steven Hyde. She was entirely done with the day. Was it even still Friday evening or had they gone across into early Saturday? She sleepily rubbed her face and her movement attracted Hyde's stare.

She couldn't see his eyes and his mouth stayed in a flat line so Jackie couldn't begin to guess what he was thinking. But the back of her neck prickled under his gaze.

"You want to do _what_?" Red demanded of the chief. Red's patience, never that enduring at the best of times, was severely fraying.

"I want them to testify at a trial charging Mr Ivanov. Chicago PD called to say they picked him up half an hour ago. But he has enough money and a great lawyer so he'll probably get bail. And as he likely got a look at both Jackie and Steven, they'll have to go into witness protection. Possibly for a few months."

"Why do people keep taking my sons away?" Kitty cried in anguish.

"Are you sure this is necessary?" Bob asked.

The chief nodded sombrely. "Unfortunately yes. You don't want to know what happened to the last witnesses we got to testify."

Jackie's heart jumped into her throat. She was in actual, real danger. It was all too surreal to process.

"It's up to the kids of course. But with their help, we could put a very dangerous man away."

Jackie couldn't even be offended at being called a kid despite being nineteen years old. She felt like a kid herself. She wanted Red and Kitty to fix this up so she could go home and forget it had ever happened.

But she couldn't let a man who shot people get away with murder.

Besides, he knew what she looked like. How long before he decided to get rid of her as a precaution? How long before it was Steven on his knees in that alley?

"I'll do it," Jackie said quietly. She hoped her voice didn't waver too much.

"Why not?" Hyde added with a shrug. "Just send me somewhere fume friendly and far away. I hear Amsterdam is cool. You can go somewhere nice like Utah, Jackie."

The chief rubbed the back of his neck. "Unfortunately, we can't send you to Amsterdam, Mr Hyde and I'm going to pretend I don't know what you mean by fumes."

"Square," Hyde coughed.

"And I hate to break this to you but Chicago PD might have decent resources but not an endless budget. We'll be sending you both to the same place."

Hyde pushed off from the wall, suddenly showing more interest in tonight's proceedings than he had done. Jackie's lipped curled up in annoyance. Of course she was so unbearable that Hyde was going to make a scene.

"Like same state, same place? Or same _town_ , same place? How much sameness are we talking about?"

"More like same house, same place, Mr Hyde."

"Aw crap!" Jackie sighed.

…

Hyde got a police escort home. They hadn't let him pick up his El Camino, instead one of the cops were going to drive it round the Foreman's.

Hyde tried to supress a shiver at the thought of a cop sitting in his baby but he knew putting up a fight would have meant even longer before he could collapse into his bed and get some sleep.

Who knew how long it would be before he got to spend the night in the basement that was the only real home he'd ever known? He had a headache brewing behind the back of his eyeballs and now that everyone had stopped trying to talk to him, there was a persistent ringing in his ears.

The police had given him one night to say goodbye and to gather some things. 'Pack light,' they had instructed. The strangled squawk of protest that escaped Jackie's throat almost made up for it.

Almost.

He was about to be spending a lot more time with her. Probably this thudding headache too.

Hyde pushed himself out of the car and shut the door carefully behind him. He was actually too exhausted at this point to channel his anger into physical action. Hell, he could slam the door tomorrow. He trailed Red and Kitty wordlessly and pretended not to notice that Kitty kept shooting him concerned looks over her shoulder every other footstep.

He was glad only Eric was at his back. Donna had tactfully offered to drive Jackie back to her apartment and Fez and Kelso had both gone with her.

Hyde needed some time and quiet to get his damn head straight. He was almost through the glass sliding door when shouting erupted further down the drive.

In an instant his fatigue evaporated into searing alertness.

"Let me through! My son is down there!"

W.B. He forgot he'd asked Red to call his father while Hyde got interrogated.

Hyde's held breath hissed out slowly. For a brief moment he'd actually thought that shitty, half-ass gangster had shown up to kill him. Well, that settled it. If he'd had any doubts about whether testifying was the right thing to do, they were gone. Otherwise he was going to spend the rest of his life looking over his shoulder and jumping at shadows.

"Oh for god's sake," Red grunted, walking back out the door and looking mad as hell. "Let him through," he snapped at the bewildered uniforms blocking W.B's path. They hurried to get out of the way, sensibly realising that Red wasn't in the mood for disobedience.

W.B. grabbed Hyde's shoulders frantically. "You ok?" His father looked dishevelled. Kind of like he'd got the call, thrown on whatever was closest and ran out the door. Hyde had never seen his dad look anything less than immaculate.

He'd also never seen him so unravelled. His concern for Hyde's wellbeing was blatant and Hyde's skin felt hot. Man, he must really be out of it if he was starting to get sappy because some guy in a silk shirt cared whether he lived or died.

"Dad, I'm fine!" Hyde informed W.B. gruffly, hoping his assurances would be enough to make the older man release him. If he didn't let go, Hyde was worried something weird might happen. Like a hug.

Luckily Kitty was there with some well-timed soothing words. "Steven's not hurt, W.B. You come on inside and we'll get you all caught up. Come on now."

Kitty was always at her best when she was mothering someone and W.B. was powerless to resist her innate maternal nature. He allowed himself to be pulled inside.

Eric moved to stand next to him. "This is a strange night, it's not just me right?"

"Nah man – it's whacked," Hyde agreed blearily.

"Good to know," Eric said, clapping him on the shoulder and stepping into the house.

…

Jackie was back at the police station bright and early the next morning, closeted away in the chief's office. Her eyelids move like sandpaper across her eyes. Her throat was raspy with the lack of sleep. She'd packed and repacked about four hundred times. She didn't know where they would be going yet so she didn't know what she needed. In the end, she grabbed an armful of clothes and dumped them in a bag.

Looking good just seemed like the least of her problems right now. She'd called her mum quickly to say that she wouldn't be in touch for a little while and not to worry. Pam had paused on the other end of the phone and after a stretched silence she asked if Jackie needed her to come home.

That one little question almost broke down the wall she'd put up around her tears. It wasn't so long ago that Pam wouldn't have even thought to ask if Jackie needed her.

"No, mom. Stay. I'm just going to be so busy, there are heaps of parties coming up." She tried to force herself to sound preppy. If Pam noticed her voice was thicker than normal, she didn't say anything. Jackie didn't want her mother to become a potential target. She wasn't just leaving to keep herself safe, she had to protect everyone she loved.

Those loved ones had just left. The police wouldn't reveal their destination to anyone except her and Hyde. So with a few bone crushing embraces and some not so discrete sniffling they'd bid her farewell. Jackie wasn't sure if Kitty or Fez had wept more. Probably Fez.

Jackie had avoided looking at Hyde too much so far. He wasn't exactly the first person she wanted to be stuck in hiding with. He had withdrawn more than usual, restrained rather than spitting the typical barrage of insults. If he was worried then he wasn't showing it. But Jackie knew better. Over the years they'd spent together, she had systematically categorised his silences. This situation had disconcerted him.

Jackie considered offering some words of comfort. He'd probably laugh in her face but the quiet in the room was beginning to get suffocating.

She opened her mouth not knowing what she'd say but never getting the chance. The door swung open and the chief walked in with a tall woman just behind. Her hair was pulled up in a no-nonsense ponytail, she looked in her mid-30s and not the type of person who dealt with foolishness. Jackie absently observed some blush would significantly enhance the bone structure of her face.

Hyde tensed up behind her, no longer leaning against the wall. Jackie hoped he would keep his temper. He was a confrontational type, her ex-lover was, and things were already awful enough without a trademark Hyde tantrum.

"Mr Hyde, Ms Burkhart, my name is Agent Annette Godfrey. I'm with the FBI witness protection unit and I'll be running your protective custody operation."

The introduction was brisk and didn't do much in the way of pleasantries, Jackie wasn't sure how to respond.

"Nice to meet you?"

Agent Godfrey had sharp blue eyes that were trained on Jackie, sizing her up, like she was an insect under a microscope. As if a switch flipped, the eyes softened.

"They told me you were young."

"I'm nineteen," Jackie retorted and winced. That was the kind of thing a child said. She could practically _hear_ Hyde rolling his eyes behind her. He still hadn't said a word but Annette was focused exclusively on Jackie right now.

"I don't mean it as an insult. What you're doing is really brave."

Was it brave though? If the choices were life or death, was it really a difficult decision?

Agent Godfrey nodded as if she had heard Jackie's inner most thoughts. She leaned back and sat on the on the desk.

"You can both call me Annette, since we're going to be spending a bit of time together."

"How much time exactly?" Hyde queried.

"Trial is set to start in six month. Could be longer."

"Way to soften the blow, man," Hyde grumbled.

"You don't strike me as the type who would prefer white lies over honesty?"

That effectively silenced Hyde and Jackie shifted in her seat. The packed bag at her feet suddenly didn't seem big enough. She had grabbed clothes for every conceivable climate but it still didn't feel like she was prepared.

"We should get down to the practicalities of it all," Annette said neutrally, reaching for a large envelope. "We've had to rush so we've only got the bare bones of your personas but after we relocate you, we'll take a few days to get you orientated and comfortable with your backstories."

Hyde took a cautious step towards the envelope. "Why not just put us in the middle of nowhere, with no people? Like in a cabin in the woods."

Annette twisted the paper lightly in her fingers. "Best place to hide a tree is in the forest." The envelope opened and Jackie sucked in a sharp breath and held it.

The agent handed her one small laminated square and passed Hyde the other one. Jackie seized what looked to be a new driver's license. Her own smiling face stared back at her. At least they'd chosen a flattering photo. It was the only thing Jackie recognised. They had aged her 3 years, not dramatic, just enough to be believable.

Jackie traced her index finger along her new name. Melissa Thompson. Nothing inherently wrong with that. Nothing particularly interesting either. That was probably the point.

"Gregory? What kind of dork is named Gregory?"

"You for starters," Jackie pointed out, her patience warn thin by Hyde's constant bitching. "It's no better than mine but you don't hear me complaining."

Hyde shot her a look that Jackie just knew was withering even from behind the sunglasses. As if he didn't believe her, he reached over and plucked the license from her fingers, ignoring her protests.

"Her last name is Thompson. That's mine too. We supposed to be siblings or something?"

Annette's smile was slightly too innocent to be believable. "No."


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: If you like it, please review.**

Hyde's whole body ached and he blinked sleepily in the fading afternoon sunshine. They'd spent the last 32 hours in a car with not much information. He'd tried to keep track of which direction they were headed but after dozing off a few times, he'd gotten completely disorientated. The only clue he had was the subtly shifting accents he heard when his keepers let them use the bathrooms at truck stops along the road.

Jackie had been remarkably silent, spending most of the trip curled up on the backseat as far away from him as she could get, either napping or completely absorbed by the magazines she had brought along for the ride.

She wasn't acting anything like the newlywed she was.

Hyde was two marriages in and each one was faker than the last.

Agent Godfrey had shaken two wedding rings out of that shitty envelope and onto her palm, while all Hyde could do was stand there mutely and shake his head.

Jackie had been slightly more vocal. "I'm not marrying that dumbass!"

"Why _couldn't_ we be siblings?" Hyde demanded, finding his voice and ignoring the sting of Jackie's disgust. Hadn't been so long ago that she had wanted to be married to him.

Annette had narrowed her eyes at his question. "You look nothing alike."

"So cousins then?" Jackie offered desperately, her eyes had gone unnaturally wide.

"It's not real," Annette had assured them both, cutting her eyes to the chief who quickly raised his hands in surrender and took a step backwards. "We got unprecedented access to a home in a gated community. It's got great protection assets but the strata management only accept married couples or families."

All further protests were quelled when Annette told them they had to be on the road in five minutes and that they were welcome to voice their concerns in the car. Hyde had tried but even he couldn't maintain his protest for 32 hours.

A sign had revealed more than their guardians. 'Welcome to California.'

The streets were buzzing with activity but to Hyde they slipped by silently. The sun had set, risen and set again all while they were trapped in this damn car. The dark was disorientating, people passed in a blur of shadow and streetlight.

Their driver, a silent male in his 40s, didn't consult a map once. Beyond wincing a little when Hyde had spent the first five hours complaining, he hadn't given much away. He didn't even have a name yet. Agent Godfrey had tried a bit of small talk but given up pretty quickly when it became apparent both Jackie and Hyde were more interested in sulking in quiet.

The houses outside slowly got bigger and bigger until even Jackie's interest was piqued. She had pushed herself up so she could see better outside the window. Hyde caught a glimpse of a bruise beginning to deepen on her bicep and knew that he had given her that. He tried not to feel guilty about it; after all, he'd been saving her life at the time. Still, it was the first time she had borne such an obvious sign of the hurt he'd done her.

Hyde scoffed internally and forced himself to look past the petite brunette. "Where are we?" He directed his question to the two FBI agents in the front seat.

But Jackie was the one who answered with a delighted squeal. "Beverly hills!"

…

"This is like Christmas. But _better_!" Jackie cried turning in a circle. This house was bigger than the one she had grown up in as a child. It even had a pool – she'd checked.

Her bag was still in the doorway where she'd dropped it immediately to go exploring. This had turned out completely different to what she'd anticipated. She had been expecting some dingy motel off the highway with a vending machine and a leaking tap despite Annette's assurances it ws a nice house.

Annette had smiled in amusement, letting her dash around like an excited child while she and Mr Silent did a safety sweep of the house.

Hyde had collapsed into the couch, his mouth pursed in a sour pinch. His sunglasses were shoved as far up his nose as he could manage and his arms were folded across his chest.

Jackie gasped. "Have you seen this kitchen? It's almost bigger than the Foremans' whole house."

"You don't even cook!" Hyde snapped, pushing himself forward so he could rest his arms on his knees, glaring at her from across the room.

It brought Jackie up short. Hyde hadn't yelled at her, actually rebuked her, in months. He'd insulted her plenty but always in a detached, glib way as if he didn't much care about her either way. His scolding tone told her she'd rubbed him the wrong way.

"You're mad at me for being happy now?" Her breathing hitched and her arms crossed in front of her body.

"I'm mad because you're stupid," he spat in her direction. "We're not on vacation, Jackie. We're here because someone might kill us."

"I haven't forgotten. I'm just a little relieved they didn't put us somewhere awful. You might like living in a basement, Hyde, but I want something slightly more refined." Jackie tossed her hair, reigning in her emotions frantically. She bit her bottom lip hard and schooled her face from hurt into condescension. She hadn't had much sleep in the last two days and that made her more vulnerable but there was a list of people she wouldn't let see her be weak and Steven Hyde was top of that list.

"I'd rather have the basement if you weren't there," he fired back at her.

Jackie was prevented from having to think up a response by the re-emergence of the FBI agents. The tall silent one had a hand full of a familiar substance.

"You went through my bags?" Hyde redirected his anger from Jackie to the agents. "That's an invasion of privacy, man."

"It's illegal," Annette replied calmly, pulling her hair up into a no-nonsense bun.

"It's medicinal," Hyde argued, trying to follow the man.

"Clyde, get rid of that!" Annette instructed. Jackie took Hyde's abandoned seat and watched with enjoyment. She was torn on the subject. Part of her knew Hyde was going to be unbearable if he didn't have access to his pot but on the other hand, screw him.

"You can't smoke that here," Annette admonished, flicking her eyes from Hyde to Jackie, which Jackie took offence to.

"Don't look at me. Do I look like the type of girl who does that kind of thing?" Jackie asked, widening her eyes and affecting a pout.

Hyde twisted to stare at her incredulously, mouth open. "I guess I must have hallucinated all those times you were in the circle?"

"People hallucinate the strangest things. Like, one time, I hallucinated you were a nice person!"

"Enough! I'm not naïve and I don't give a crap what you two do when I'm not responsible for you but smoking pot makes people paranoid and chatty. Neither of which you can afford to be when you're living _undercover_. Tell me you get that right?" The agent was sounding more and more exasperated by the second.

Jackie's cheeks heated with that admonishment. Even Hyde looked suitable chastened.

"It's been a long drive. You guys get some sleep and tomorrow we'll talk about how things are going to work around here."

Annette walked off and left a deafening silence in her wake. Hyde was only a few feet away from Jackie but he had never felt further away from her. She knew her ex had a tendency to be aggressive and angry, especially when outside his comfort zone, but it had been a long time since he had lashed out her with so much venom.

Jackie's shoulders slumped, she barely knew who either of them were any more and she just didn't have the energy to deal with it tonight. Without a word, she grabbed her bag and went in search of a bedroom. She eventually settled on the master bedroom, claiming it without consultation.

She brushed her teeth in the ensuite that was larger than her apartment in Point Place and examined her reflection. To an untrained eye, Jackie looked normal but she could see the dark circles under her eyes, her complexion more sallow than porcelain and her cheeks more hollow than normal. She wished she could blame it on the trauma of being shot at but Jackie had been staring at this fragile, muted version of herself for months. Sheer determination was keeping her from withering away to nothing. Well, determination and spite. Jackie was not going to give a single person the satisfaction of nodding and saying smugly, "oh Jackie Burkhart, she was never much more than a vapid cheerleader."

Well, this cheerleader was going to help put a criminal behind bars and save the day. She'd probably be famous afterwards; they'd be lining up to do interviews with her and wondering how she had been so brave. All Jackie had to do was get through six months with Hyde. Piece of cake. This house was huge after all, should be no problem avoiding him.

Jackie stared as herself in the mirror and smirked. Jackie was no victim, she knew that, and this what she needed to prove it to others.

Jackie flicked off the lights and crawled into the plush bed. Her muscles relaxed into the mattress as the dark enveloped her. Her knees still felt stiff from where they'd been scraped across the ground and her ears had only just stopped ringing. Her eyes slid shut, ready to give into sleep but when they were closed suddenly Jackie could only see the man getting shot over and over before the murderer looked down the alley, straight at her. Her palms grew hot and her heart beat faster as she lay there.

He had looked right at her. Would have killed her too. Anxious prickles ran the length of her body and Jackie sat bolt right up in bed, eyes frantically searching the dark for hidden monsters. With shaking hands she fumbled the switch on the lamp, illuminated the room with a dull yellow glow.

Jackie flopped back down, able to breathe better now that she could see. The house was completely soundless and Jackie could feel that quiet echo out into the large cavernous mansion before ricocheting back in to suffocate her. It reminded her of being a child and too many nights spent alone while her parents were god knows where.

She tangled her fingers in her hair and took slow deep breaths. She reached for the light switch but then let her hand drop. It was easier to be brave with the light on.

…

Hyde was sitting at the kitchen bench eating pancakes, his outburst from last night almost forgotten. Maybe it was the quality of the food, prepared by an honest to god housekeeper or the coffee so strong it could have melted steel but he felt slightly better.

He had stupidly allowed Jackie to get under his skin yesterday and he'd lashed out like an idiot. He was looking at this all wrong, this could be like a vacation if he got his head in the right space. Granted that would be a lot easier if the narcs hadn't made off with his stash but Hyde was a pretty durable dude. His zen might have to work overtime but all he had to do was tune Jackie out and this six months would be easy.

He had some reading to catch up on, movies he'd missed while he been slaving away in the record shop. He ignored the pinch in his stomach when he thought about Grooves. Worrying about his job wasn't something 'Chilled Hyde' did. W.B. had promised the management would be taken care of while he was gone and the rest of the gang swore they'd stop by regularly to help out.

He was oddly protective of the store but it was the first thing that was his and just his. Maybe he wouldn't have gotten it without his father but Hyde had been the one to make it a success. He lived, breathed and bled music – it was the best job he could have hoped for.

Hyde didn't really want to think about what he'd be doing if he had never met W.B. In all likelihood he'd be barely making ends meet at some dead end job that he hated with every fibre of his being. The half a dozen pancakes he'd just inhaled began to sit uncomfortably in his stomach when the thought process reached its natural conclusion. He wouldn't have met W.B. without Jackie's insistence.

Subconsciously he unhooked his sunglasses from the front of his shirt and slid them on. He took another mouthful of burning coffee and tried to banish her from his thoughts with the bitterness of the warm beverage. It was hard to do when she appeared in the kitchen as if summoned by his thoughts.

Jackie was wearing a cream nightgown that barely skimmed mid-thigh. It wasn't her best look – Hyde happened to think she looked better in oversized flannel pyjamas – but Jackie managed to make most things look good. He was cynical enough to wonder if she had done it on purpose but while her face was composed into cool disinterest, he noticed her small hand tugged futilely at the hem of the gown as if trying to make it longer.

This living together thing was going to take some getting used to.

"Good morning."

He hadn't expected her to talk to him and she was staring into the fridge as she said it. It came out formal and stilted.

Hyde was tempted to say something sarcastic but that would be the opposite of his new zen mandate. The only way he was going to survive was by pretending Jackie was some stranger he had to be civil to. A very attractive stranger who he had once dated.

"Morning," he replied evenly. He seized upon the nearby paper and pretended to be absorbed by its content.

Jackie helped herself to some of the pancakes on the stove and a tall glass of orange juice. She was just taking the furthest seat from Hyde when Annette strode into the kitchen with a handful of folders.

Hyde had never been so pleased in his life to see a cop walk into a room. "We have staff?" he asked, gesturing at the food.

"Not full time, obviously. But you do need to keep up the appearances of people living in this community. Everyone working here has been heavily vetted."

"These pancakes are so good, I kinda want to marry whoever made them," Hyde joked. It was a lame joke. He must be on edge.

Annette raised an eyebrow and sat between Jackie and Hyde. "I'll be sure to let Eleanor know. She's a happily married woman in her fifties but you guys might just make it work."

Jackie snorted into her orange juice. She stifled her giggles when she noticed Hyde's attention and became more interested in shoving food in her mouth.

Annette passed them each a folder full of documents. "This contains the details of your cover story. I need you to memorise them. To summarize, Greg and Melissa have been married five months – you both bought money into the union. Your house was broken into recently and so you wanted a place with more security. Greg is a tech genius-"

"A what?" Hyde asked.

"You are a technical entrepreneur," Annette expanded.

"No I get that. But why?"

"Because no one here will understand what you're talking about. Besides tech people are notoriously socially awkward. That will explain why you sometimes act-" Annette trailed off as if just now realising she might not have been very tactful.

Hyde, never one to let things go or make things simple, pushed her. "Act like what?"

"Yourself?" Jackie supplied with a smirk.

Hyde rolled his eyes. They wanted people to think he was eccentric rather than an angry burnt-out rebel. What did he care what a bunch of rich snobs thought of him anyway?

"What does dear old Melissa do?" Hyde shifted the focus from himself to Jackie. "Gold digging?"

"Sounds like just your type," Jackie retorted, eyes flashing.

"Look, let me just lay some ground rules right here and now," Annette interjected. "You can bicker to your hearts' content when it's just us. But you need to make some kind of effort when you inevitably encounter your neighbours. You don't need a reason to cause gossip. Is that clear?"

"Fine," Jackie grumbled as Hyde shrugged and grunted, "Whatever."

"Excellent," Annette said with a falsely bright smile. "Melissa inherited her family fortune when her parents passed away a few years back."

"So I just… got the money?"

The question sounded innocuous enough but Hyde knew Jackie well enough to tell she was disappointed. If there was one thing Hyde was intimately familiar with, it was sensing when Jackie Burkhart was disappointed.

And damn it but he knew why. Jackie hated when people assumed that just because she liked fashion and pretty things, she wasn't capable of thinking or achieving anything. She'd been dealing with that attitude all her life from nearly everyone. Hyde knew deep down she worried whether she was as useless as everyone seemed to think. He wished he didn't have that knowledge in his head but disliking a person unfortunately didn't erase them.

"Don't worry Mel, I'm sure you killed them for the money and got away with it because the murder was so well executed."

Don't look at her. Don't look at her. Don't look at her.

He repeated the mantra in his head but in the end he was unable to resist a quick glance in her direction. She was smiling at her food, her cheeks had a rosy hue that hadn't been there just a second ago. Hyde had made her feel better.

His heart thudded once, painfully inside his chest. He'd almost forgotten what it felt like when he made Jackie grin like that. Nope, not forgotten. Repressed.

Hyde snatched the file from the table and made for the door.

"Where are you going?" Annette called.

"To study!"

…

Jackie was starting to go crazy with boredom. She was in the biggest house she'd ever seen, sitting by a pool, in Beverley freaking Hills and Jackie was bored. It had been three days and the only other living souls she had seen were Annette, Clyde and Eleanor. Hyde had basically turned into a ghost. She caught glimpses of him around dinner and breakfast but mostly he seemed to be doing a pretty great job of avoiding her.

Even the weather was predictable – cloudless, sunny perfection day in day out. Jackie grabbed her glass of coke from the table and took a long sip, the ice bumping pleasantly against her lip. This was the kind of heat people sweat in. How did her mother stand spending so much time in South America?

Her backstory was laying forgotten on the table. Jackie had read it enough times to have it memorised. Not that there was anything of substance to absorb. Melissa Thompson (nee Baxter) was an Aquarius who had grown up in Michigan. Her family had been rich for generations and when her parents had died in a car accident four years ago, Melissa had inherited the bulk of their wealth. Melissa had donated a portion to charity and then invested in her husband's business when they'd gotten engaged.

That's all she had to do to make her fortune. Be born. It wasn't exactly inspiring. The details were a little threadbare. What was Melissa's favourite colour? What was her favourite food? How did she fall in love? The file said she had met her future husband at a charity gala but no information on what made her want to marry the man. Annette had told her she had room to use her imagination and that the best lies were based on truths. The agent had also recommended that she and Hyde swap files so they could learn about each other but she needed to be in the same room as Hyde for more than thirty seconds to request it.

Jackie rubbed at her face. An itchy restlessness was building in her stomach. She was also exhausted. Every time she lay down to get some sleep, the silence made her heart pound or dreams of executed gangsters forced her awake. Her hands were beginning to develop a fine tremor that she was persistently ignoring.

With a frustrated grunt, Jackie snatched up the folder and made her way back inside. Annette was seated at the kitchen table rifling through pages and photos, her shoes were kicked off under the table revealing cute pink nail polish. Jackie approved of that little nod to femininity. She wasn't sure what the FBI agent thought of her yet, she played her cards close to her chest.

As Jackie shut the door, Hyde rounded the corner, an empty mug in hand. He looked a little startled to see her there and made to about face almost immediately.

"Let's do something!" Jackie all but shouted at him, surprising him, Annette and herself. She was asking Hyde to hang out with her. She must be desperate. Or more accurately, she must be lonely. Jackie hated only having herself for company for too long. It reminded her of birthday dinners with no one but the maid in the house.

"No way," Hyde managed to stammer back. Her unexpected request had made him temporarily forget how to speak like a proper human.

Jackie popped up onto her tip toes and pouted. "Hyde, I am so bored."

"That doesn't mean we have to hang out!" he gestured back and forth between them, one foot already in the other room.

Jackie's fingers played in restless annoyance. "Then let's go to a movie. You won't even have to talk to me! Anything would be better than spending another complete day in this prison."

Annette had been listening wordlessly up until that point, pen in her mouth as she watched the exchange between Jackie and Hyde but she interrupted now. "I think you mean mansion," she clarified before returning to wordless observer.

"Whatever, it's boring. Eleanor is a nice lady and all but she smells like moth balls."

"Still as kind-hearted as ever," Hyde griped but he had squared his feet. Jackie's heart fluttered. He always braced his feet like that right before he gave into something Jackie wanted. Maybe his mind hadn't arrived at that conclusion yet but his body subconsciously prepared him and Jackie knew his tells well enough to take full advantage.

" _Please_ , Hyde!" She tilted her head and fluttered her eyelashes just so.

Hyde swallowed almost imperceptibly and Jackie just about pumped her fist in the air in victory.

"Isn't it a security risk to let us out?" Hyde turned to face Annette in a last ditch effort.

"Its fine," Annette stated, scribbling some notes in handwriting too small for Jackie to read.

"What!" Hyde exclaimed.

"You're under protection, you're not prisoners."

"Could've fooled me," Hyde grumbled under his breath but Jackie paid him no mind, too elated to let his grumpy mood get her down. After three days coped up basically alone with no one to talk to, Jackie would have hung out with anyone. Literally anyone.

"As long as Clyde drives you, then there's no problem."

Jackie spotted the scowl twisting Hyde's features. He hadn't technically agreed but neither did he protest. She took pity on him, she knew how much he hated being forced outside his comfort zone.

"You can pick the movie?" she suggested as a peace offering.

Hyde shrugged but that was better than outright rejection.

"Just don't forget your wedding rings," Annette called after them.

…

Hyde couldn't stop staring at the thin and unremarkable gold band on his left ring finger. The second ring in the space of a year – he just couldn't stop getting himself embroiled in these messed up situations. This didn't happen to normal people surely? He had set himself on a self-destructive mission and he didn't seem to be able to get off course.

He and Jackie hadn't spoken much on the car ride in. Hyde was too consumed with discomfort. He knew Clyde was playing a role of chauffer and that it was a pretext that allowed him to stay close to the pair of them in case there was trouble but Hyde still couldn't get used to the idea of people doing things for him that he was perfectly capable of doing himself. It also made him miss the Camino.

Jackie's eyes were all for the passing world outside; taking in every house, car and person with rapt attention. Even as distracted as she was, she was still notably quiet. Hyde didn't know why that surprised him. It wasn't like he and Jackie had just talked in the last year. They were either bickering, shouting or avoiding each other.

If Jackie had been chattering to him, telling him gleefully how much she loved Beverly Hills and the polish of the place it probably would have felt too much like old times. Hyde didn't like to be reminded of how things had once been between them. It made his fist clench and anger bubble to the surface. Things were for the best now. If happiness was based on something that didn't make sense, that he didn't understand, then it was just an illusion all along and illusions always came to end.

True to her word, Jackie let him pick the film. Hyde scanned the list of films and picked the one that she'd least enjoy. A satire called _Used Cars_.

Jackie's smile had dimmed subtly, though obviously enough to make him feel like an asshole, but she didn't complain.

Hyde couldn't pay attention to the film and if someone had put a gun to his head and asked for the major plot points, he'd have come up blank. He was too transfixed by the woman sitting next to him. This was the longest they'd spent in each other's company without a single insult being hurled in either direction. Hyde couldn't tell if it was nice or terrifying. His mind was churning with unbidden thoughts about the last time they'd gone to the movies together.

They'd been happy then, content with the relationship. Hyde couldn't remember that movie either. That memory was full of little details like the scent of Jackie's perfume, the way her fingers curled around his, the calm that settled in his chest when she pressed a kiss to his cheek.

Jackie had been the flame in his life. Fire, if mishandled and taken for granted, could hurt and be dangerous. If treated with respect; it was warmth, comfort and light. Hyde had long ago forgotten the correct way to deal with Jackie and she'd gone from being the point of stability in his life to a raging forest fire, gutting his world into a charred husk.

You had to be fearless to tame fire and Hyde wasn't fearless.

The ring was shrinking on his finger, constricting blood flow and reason.

Jackie's head dropped onto his shoulder almost causing him to jump out of his skin. Hyde couldn't move for a beat. A soft snore fluttered against his neck. He carefully peaked down and realised Jackie was soundly asleep. A chuckle escaped his mouth as he looked down at the composed and put together Jackie Burkhart with her mouth hanging open, snoring in the cinema.

Shaking her awake never crossed his mind. Instead he inched down in his seat so that his shoulder was a more comfortable height. He'd tease her about this later, he reasoned with himself, coming up with some particularly good burns.

But for now he'd let her sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: apologies for the delay, went out of town for a wedding. Please be kind and review, it makes me really happy!**

Jackie sat in the back of the BMW, pressed as far as she could into the metal door as she could manage. She pushed her fingers hard into her forehead, her eyes stinging, her bottom lip trapped between her teeth. She kept her face turned right away so that no one could see her expression.

How could she be so stupid? She'd let herself be completely vulnerable with the one person who she couldn't afford to let see her weak.

Falling asleep on her ex-boyfriend's shoulder was clearly at the top of the list of dumb things she shouldn't do.

And Hyde had let her. Probably sat there laughing at her while she drooled on his jacket.

Jackie had slept right through until the credits, blissfully unaware of who she was slumbering on and completely dream free. The shift in music had jarred her awake and it had only taken a second to register who, what, and where.

Before Hyde could say something that would cut her sleep deprived heart so deep it'd bleed, Jackie bolted to her feet and fled the cinema.

She distantly heard Hyde call after her. "Jac – _Melissa_!"

The moment wasn't real. _Nothing_ was real. She was stuck in purgatory for a few months and when she got out the other side nothing would be different.

He hadn't tried to talk when he'd drawn level. Jackie noticed his chest was rising and falling faster than usual but otherwise there were no other outward signs that he was rattled. The flash of gold on his hand was insult to injury.

It was the second time she'd been forced to see him wear a wedding ring and he was no more committed to her than the last time. Every golden glint made a mockery of how she had once felt; how she'd once wanted him so desperately to propose to her.

Jackie wasn't stupid or naïve; she knew people didn't normally find their soul mate when they were in high school but Hyde had been the other half of her. He didn't think she was silly or ridiculous or… easy to abandon.

At least he hadn't once upon a time. Chicago had changed all of that. It had totally and completely undermined her value to him.

Clyde pulled the car into their driveway and Jackie had the door flung open before the car had even come to a stop.

"Are you crazy?" Hyde demanded getting out of the car quickly. "Least let the man put the brakes on."

"Why didn't you wake me up?" Jackie whirled around to face him, rage spilling over making her words shake. She wouldn't cry. He hadn't seen her cry for months. He'd lost the privilege.

"You're _mad_ at me for letting you sleep?"

"Yes," Jackie fired back, hands on her hips. She kept her chin high and faced Hyde squarely.

"I don't know," Hyde snapped, throwing his hands in the air. "Maybe I figured your self-involvement had finally worn you out and you needed a rest?"

Jackie rolled her eyes at his childish insult. "Don't be a jerk."

"And why not, since I'm apparently so good at it?" Hyde was warming up to the argument, his posture shifting from passive to aggressive as they fronted off in the driveway.

The anger made Jackie's blood sing. The familiarity of trading verbal blows felt right. It was more accurate of who they were. They fought each other, they didn't nap on the other's shoulder.

"Don't sell yourself short. You're also good at being annoying, immature and reckless!"

"Well seeing as how being a narcissistic, spoilt brat with no talent was already taken, I had to branch out."

That one hit the mark. Jackie exhaled sharply as Hyde threw those words in her face. The information from her backstory ran through her mind. She was just an heiress with dead parents. God, it was pathetic. They didn't even have to venture far from her real life for inspiration.

Hyde sensed he had come close to the line and instead of moving in for the kill like usual, he shifted his shoulder uncomfortably. "Come on-"

"Why don't you just go on and say it all," Jackie prompted.

"Say what?"

"All the awful things you were thinking when I was asleep!" Jackie couldn't stop the furious, fragile thoughts from spilling out of her mouth. "Because we all know you don't do nice things for me. Not anymore. So if you let me sleep it was only because you were thinking up a burn!"

Jackie's hands suddenly flew to her face. "Did you do something to me? Did you shave off an eyebrow?"

Hyde was taking in her distress with open-mouthed shock. "Have you gone completely bananas?"

Clyde cleared his throat loudly, cutting across their increasingly unhinged argument. Jackie hadn't felt so out of control in ages. She really needed some more sleep.

Clyde gestured discreetly across the street with his chin where an older couple was watching the argument curiously.

They were too far away to hear what was being said but from the tone and volume, Jackie was sure they'd figured out it was a full blown argument. Hyde swore and Jackie froze like a deer in headlights.

The couple realised they'd been spotted and waved uncertainly before crossing the road.

"Hi, you two must be our new neighbours," the woman began cheerily. "I know you moved in a few days ago but we thought we'd give you time to settle and then we never saw y'all."

It took two tries before Jackie got words out. "It was a big move." Her voice was rough as she tried to return the hundred watt smile directed her way.

"I'm Nancy Myer." A perfectly manicured hand was offered to Jackie. Nancy was closer to forty than fifty, with blond hair and a twang to her accent that sounded like she had her origins in Texas. "This is my husband Hank."

"Pleased to meet you both." Hank shook hands with Jackie and Hyde, who still hadn't spoken.

Realising they were beginning to appear weird, Jackie took control of the situation. "It's just so nice to finally meet some neighbours," Jackie enthused with a bounce. "I'm Melissa Thompson but you can call me Mel."

"And your quiet, handsome friend?" Nancy turned to Hyde with a wink. Hyde appeared to be feverishly wishing that the ground would swallow him whole. Jackie tried to weigh the odds that he would say something stupid and abrasive, deciding that if she were a betting gal, she put down some pretty big money that he would offend the friendly couple.

Snaking a slender arm around his waist, Jackie yanked him to her side. "This is my husband Greg. You'll have to forgive him, he's still adapting to the time difference."

Hyde was stiff against her but he managed a curt nod by way of greeting. If the Myers were put off by his peculiar behaviour, then they didn't show it.

"Do you have any friends in the area yet?" Nancy asked politely.

Jackie cast a surreptitious glance in Hyde's direction. "Absolutely none close by," Jackie confessed in a rush.

"Then you have to come to dinner tomorrow night," Hank said. "We insist. We can hear all about you two."

"We'd love to," Jackie exclaimed, not consulting either Hyde or the FBI agent who was standing there quietly observing the situation. Jackie tried not to think too hard about the fact that Clyde's hand was hovering close to the handle of his gun.

Nancy clapped her hands with delight and Jackie guessed that she'd been a cheerleader in her youth. "Fantastic. Come around, say, seven? Don't bring anything but yourself."

As soon as Hank was out of sight, Hyde shrugged out of Jackie's embrace as if it burned him and stalked inside.

Jackie followed him, trying to forget the solid heat of his body pressed into hers. She wanted the indignation back, it was the best shield she had against Steven Hyde.

"What if I didn't want to go?" Apparently he was on the same wave length, picking up the fight where they left off.

"Tough! I'm not spending six months with only you for company. I'll go to crazy town."

"I'm already there. You sent me there. You made me the god damn mayor!" He paced into the kitchen, Jackie hot on his heels.

Annette was sitting at the table as if she hadn't left. The stack of papers had increased and there was a glass of wine to the left. "What are you two shouting about now?" she queried, rubbing at her temples.

"We got invited to dinner by some of our neighbours and Jackie said yes without consulting me."

"You're not the deciding vote, Hyde!" Jackie felt her hackles rise at his dismissive tone.

"Which neighbours?" Annette interjected.

"Blond Texas bimbo and her square husband."

"Ah the Myers. You should go. They've been vetted."

"Have you vetted everyone?" Hyde snapped.

" _Everyone_ ," Annette said annunciating each syllable, raising her eyebrow at him.

"Do you mean us too?" Hyde pulled up short.

"If you're going to have dinner tomorrow, make sure you get your cover story down," Annette cautioned, looking back down at a complicated page of figures. Jackie noticed she didn't answer Hyde's question.

Jackie bounced on the balls of her feet in barely contained excitement and flounced out of the room. The chance for real conversation with real people. She had never been so enthusiastic about the prospect of spending an evening with a middle aged couple before.

…

Hyde watched Jackie go with a pit of worry growing in his belly. It was one thing that their fake personas were married, that didn't mean much when it was just the agents around. But when other people were introduced, the likelihood they'd have to actually pretend to be in love doubled. And how long before that became really confusing?

Hyde opened the fridge and snagged a cold beer, cracking it open and taking a long gulp from the can.

He became aware that Annette was side eyeing him from the table. He hadn't forgotten that she'd basically admitted to trawling through his personal history. At least they hadn't hauled him off to jail over the large amount of weed he'd smoked over the years.

"What're you staring at?" he grumbled, defeated by the latest turn of events. He didn't particularly feel like making small talk with preppy, rich neighbours for an entire meal.

"You know why we didn't have you two pose as siblings?" Annette asked him unexpectedly, taking a small mouthful of wine.

"Because we look nothing alike," Hyde responded with a shrug, not at all certain where the agent was headed with this line of questioning.

"Granted that's part of it. But the bigger issue was how you two talk to each other."

"I don't know what that's supposed to mean?" Hyde was thoroughly confused now.

"Most people don't flirt with their sibling constantly."

Hyde choked on the mouthful of beer he'd just sipped. "Flirt?"

"Yes. Flirt." Annette crossed her arms and sat back in her chair, giving him the once over.

"We don't flirt, Agent Godfrey. We fight."

"Please. You're a little boy on a playground pulling the pigtail of the girl you like. I've seen people who actually hate each other fight and it doesn't look like that."

"We do hate each other," Hyde insisted.

"You don't hate her and that's the problem." Annette pointed a finger at him. "You did hurt her though. Pain, fear, love; all too often it gets mixed up."

"It's more complicated than that," Hyde said gruffly.

"Always is. Look flirt – or 'fight' – to your heart's content. Just try not to go for the jugular while we all have to share the house."

"And how do I do that?"

Annette shrugged. "In my experience, it's a good start to meet them halfway."

"You mean go to this stupid dinner and behave?"

"I mean go to this stupid dinner and behave."

Hyde sighed in exasperation which caused Annette to grin in satisfaction.

"Fine. But you don't get to say anything about me and Jackie fli… fighting!"

"Deal. But a bit of advice? There comes a point where being mean to the girl you like stops being cute and starts being cruel. Now get out of my kitchen. I have work to get done."

Hyde took his beer and slowly trailed down the hall to his room. It would be dinner time soon but after listening to the agent's words, he didn't really feel hungry. Was there any truth to what she was saying? Hyde scoffed and swigged his beer. What was with this girly emotional crap? They fought because Jackie was one of the most annoying people in the world and he was an asshole.

Hyde would have given his record store to have a circle right now. Hyde spent a lot of time in his own head. That had the tendency to get messy and pot could blunt the edges. Everything became less overwhelming and less serious. It was half the reason he had survived the aftermath of Chicago. He was semi high at most times.

The room he had claimed as his own was spacious and elegant but had as much personality as a hotel. Hyde missed the basement. He missed being able to hear Red shouting at the nightly news. He wanted to hear Kitty's laugh more than anything. He'd even take having to chase Fez out from under the bed or, god forbid, having to go to another roller disco at Donna's request.

Hyde sank on to the bed and cradled the beer between his hands without drinking more. His toe was tapping as he absently stared at the blank wall. He didn't know how the FBI had come by a place like this. He'd been here for three days and he hadn't seen every room in the house yet.

He reached up and slipped his sunglasses off his nose, struck by a sudden idea. Houses like these held secrets and judging from the clothes still hanging in the closet, the FBI hadn't cleared out the possessions of the previous tenants. And that was the key word. Possession.

Every rich person had their vice. W.B.'s was power and silk shirts, Pam's was booze, Jackie's was…him?

Shoving Jackie to the back of his mind, he lumbered to his feet. Hyde might not know who had lived here before but they were the type of rich that meant there was a stash coveted away somewhere. He had nothing but time, he could search every inch of this house.

…

Jackie felt like a teenager going off on a date. Annette issued enough instructions to fill a novel and both her and Clyde stood in the doorway and watched them walk across the street. She had a nice bottle of wine in her hands to gift.

Jackie had put some effort into her appearance and curled her hair softly. The beauty rituals were soothing and familiar. Hyde had at least put on clean clothes and sprayed some cologne. It was half the reason Jackie was leaving at least an arm's length between them. That scent on him brought too many memories to the forefront. Jackie remembered what it was like to be able to smell and taste his skin.

"You alright?"

The object of her thoughts asked quietly. His sunglasses were on the front of his shirt rather than covering his eyes, giving Jackie an unhindered view of sharp blue and dark pupils. His gaze skirted the ground, avoiding Jackie's stare.

"I'm fine," Jackie insisted, adjusting her dress for the seventh time since they'd stepped out the front door.

"You're fidgety. More so than usual."

"So what?"

Hyde shook his head and held out his hand to stop her walking. It hovered over her bare shoulder but never quite making contact. His proximity was enough to make Jackie halt in her tracks.

Hyde exhaled noisily and slipped his shades on. "You're twitchy at the best of times but when you're this bad, it usually means you're nervous."

"Oh and you know me so well?" Jackie drawled sarcastically, folding her arms across her chest.

Hyde ignored her question, deftly plucking the wine bottle out of her hand. "Why so nervous?"

Jackie shoulders slumped and her grimace relaxed into a pout. "I just want them to like me."

Hyde raised his shoulders in confusion. "They're strangers. Why do you care what people think of you?"

"Not all people, Hyde. Just what _rich_ people think of me. There's a difference. Duh!"

The corners of Hyde's mouth turned upwards. That ghost of a smile made Jackie's throat tight.

"Come on, Mel. I'm sure the rich people will love you."

And they did. Nancy and Hank were loud, friendly and quick to laugh. When Jackie had pressed the doorbell, Nancy had hugged Jackie for a full minute before pulling Hyde into her arms and squeezing him until he turned pale.

Neither Hank nor Nancy batted an eyelid at the AC/DC shirt Hyde was wearing or the fact he hadn't taken his sunglasses off. Once he said he worked in tech, they'd both nodded like it explained everything.

Hank worked in publicity and had a few big musicians on his ticket and told some absolutely mad stories about his clients. Some of the things he said even had Hyde chuckling, who was trying not to be too overtly interested in what the slightly balding, middle aged man had to say.

Jackie allowed herself a larger sip of wine and forced herself to unwind. Nancy and Hank were great, Hyde was behaving and she was actually talking to people who weren't Government appointed guardians.

"Are you messing with me, man? You actually met John Lennon? The John Lennon?"

"Sure did. I was just a scrawny, unimportant intern and he asked me to get him a cup of coffee."

"That's so cool!"

Jackie raised her eyebrows in surprise. Hyde sounded genuinely impressed. She could count on one hand the times Hyde had been in awe. Two of those times had involved Jackie in a long dress. Jackie's fingers tightened on the wine glass and she stole an even larger gulp.

Nancy noticed the movement and examined her curiously. "You should come to the cook out we're having on the weekend."

Jackie's mouth fell open in surprise at the unexpected out invitation. She wasn't sure how to answer. She desperately wanted to say yes but there were probably more people going than the FBI had vetted and Hyde might be able to cope with two people but a whole party full of rich people would be more than he could handle.

The delay made Nancy sit back in her chair and clapped a hand across her mouth. "Oh gosh, you think we're lame? You think we're silly inviting neighbours half our age to hang out."

"No, no, no!" Jackie stammered.

"It's just with the kids at boarding school, the house feels so empty."

Nancy had mentioned her teenage son and daughter were at a prestigious on campus school and then had gone to summer camp. They were coming back on Saturday and Nancy's excitement was palpable. So rich parents could love their kids, it was just Jackie's who were rubbish.

"No, for old people you two are totally awesome," Jackie cried out.

Hyde saluted her with his beer, shaking his head at her words. But Nancy wasn't offended.

"Then you'll come?"

Jackie cast a discrete look in Hyde's direction, silently pleading for his input. For a long moment, she worried that he was going to leave her hanging but then he gave a single jerky nod. A grin blossomed across Jackie's face.

"We'd love to come!"

The evening came to a pleasant conclusion and Jackie left their home feeling slightly buzzed from the wine. Her cheeks were flushed in the warm summer night.

Brazenly, probably stupidly, Jackie looped her arm through Hyde's. He glanced down at it but didn't make any attempt to remove it.

"You wasted?"

"Nope," Jackie grinned. "I just had a nice night."

"They weren't bad," Hyde grudgingly admitted. "They liked you just fine."

"You liked them," Jackie said in a sing-song voice.

"Hey, I don't like anyone."

"Yes, you do," Jackie teased, dancing away and spinning.

"Now I know you're drunk."

"Not drunk. Happy," Jackie corrected, twirling once more, enjoying the way her skirt flared out around her.

"Uh huh, sure," Hyde said with a chuckle. His hand darted out and grabbed her elbow and gently tugged her back against him. "Alright, ballerina, let's get you back to the house."

Being tucked under Hyde's arm made Jackie's heart thump painfully and her brain whir.

"Thanks for saying yes to the party. I know you'll probably hate it," Jackie mumbled quietly, trying not to breathe too deeply. The scent of his cologne was a time machine; if she inhaled too much she was two years in the past and Hyde was still the person who made her happiest in the world.

"Whatever, man. Our intrusive overlords might still veto the idea."

Jackie nudged him softly. "But you said yes and that counts for something."

Hyde didn't reply but he was looking down at her intently and Jackie realised just how very close they were and how very good he smelt.

Alarm bells ringing in her mind, she ducked away. The smile on her face was shiny and false now but she had created much needed distance.

"Then let's go ask those overlords and see what they have to say," she teased and dashed off toward the front door.


	5. Chapter 5

Annette blew out a big sigh and dropped a large pile of papers in the middle of the table, almost disrupting the plate of bacon that Eleanor had set down before leaving to do the grocery shopping.

Hyde looked up from the newspaper and Jackie paused with a piece of bacon hanging out of her mouth.

Lowering his glasses slightly so he could see over the top of them, Hyde surveyed the stack of documents. "What's all this?"

Jackie took a delicate bite and glanced up at her FBI guardian. Annette had dark circles under her eyes and actually looked somewhat dishevelled.

"These are the party guests," Annette explained, grabbing a mug and the fresh pot of coffee. She poured a full cup and inhaled the rising steam.

"And?" Jackie prompted, impatient for answers.

"And you can go. Nothing more interesting than a bit of tax fraud and a few tawdry affairs."

Jackie squealed and clapped her hands. Annette had held off giving her approval to go to the party tomorrow until she determined the likelihood that any of the guests would pose a threat.

Hyde rustled the paper and turned the page. "Didn't you have actual police work to do?"

"Of course," Annette confirmed. "But Jackie can be… loud when she wants something."

Jackie couldn't even be offended by this comment. "Thank you, Annette."

Annette tried to maintain a stern expression but Jackie's sheer enthusiasm earned a small smile. "It's fine. But I'm going to go to sleep soon and I want no more requests for the next twenty-four hours."

Jackie squirmed a little in her seat, biting down on her lip. Hyde smirked at her across the table, recognising all the signs of her wanting something else. He slumped back in the seat to enjoy the show. Jackie tried to ignore him, she could still feel his arm wound around her shoulders like a brand. Since the night of the dinner party they'd slipped into an uneasy civility – both were polite to each other but avoided much extended interaction.

Jackie instead focused her attention on the one person who could give her what she wanted.

Annette stole a piece of bacon from the table and had it half way to her lips.

"One more thing?"

Annette dropped the bacon and ran a tired hand through her hair. "Just one?"

"Never just one," Hyde interjected. "It's a trap."

"Can it, Hyde," Jackie snapped before turning her innocent grin back towards Annette, her bottom lip slightly popped to make her extra sympathetic.

"What's this one thing, Jackie?"

"I don't have anything to wear. Don't laugh! But I didn't pack for _Beverly Hills_. And if you want them to believe we're rich then I'll need to wear something appropriate."

Annette raised a hand to cut off the younger woman's rambling. She looked thoroughly exhausted. Jackie knew a tired person was more inclined to say yes to things. How many times had she waited for Hyde to drift off to sleep, waiting until the very last moment to ask him to do something that he'd normally reject out of hand? A drowsy Hyde was a compliant Hyde.

Annette reached into a pocket and produced a credit card. Jackie stared at the little piece of plastic with thinly veiled lust. Even her father had never let her use his credit card, preferring to give her access to cash in most instances. Jackie reached dreamily for it, already imagining all the pretty things she could buy.

"Uh, it's in Greg's name," Annette explained.

"What? Why?" Jackie cried, her face falling.

"Ha! I'm the rich one?" Hyde suddenly became a whole lot more interested. "That's cool."

"I'm rich too," Jackie protested. "Dead parents remember?"

"How could I forget?" Annette responded with an eye roll. "Look, we needed you rich so we could put you in a gated community. Everyone needs to be on an approved list in and out and that makes life easier when you're protecting someone. _But_ we don't have endless financial resources and our assessments indicate that of the two of you, Hyde was more likely to be the more financially restrained."

"That's stupid," Jackie denounced at the same time Hyde nodded sagely, "right on."

"Don't look so pleased," Annette said, addressing Hyde with exasperation. "That means you have to go shopping too."

It was Jackie's turn to look smugly at her ex who was already wrinkling his nose and shaking his head.

"And maybe pick something out for yourself. Eccentric tech millionaire is good and all but even they know they have to dress up for a party."

"I don't know what millionaires are supposed to wear," Hyde spluttered.

"Then let Jackie pick something for you," Annette countered ruthlessly.

"You're telling me that not only do I get to go shopping with someone else's money but I get to pick out clothes for Hyde?" Jackie asked slowly, the full gloriousness of the situation only just beginning to sink in.

Hyde took an abrupt mouthful of coffee. "I had a feeling today was going to suck. You're mean when you're tired!"

"When you're over thirty, sleep deprivation is worse than a hangover."

…

There were many things Hyde enjoyed about living in California. He liked the heat, he liked the progressive culture and he liked the energy.

There were plenty of aspects he hated. Being effectively cut off from his supply of weed, the painfully bright colours, the ongoing and increasingly confusing proximity to Jackie. She was becoming distracting.

Hyde also detested the fact he was clothes shopping, while sober, with said distraction. Jackie has disappeared in a flurry of limbs, perfume and joy. He could judge her general location by the rustle of clothing racks and squeals.

Hyde was happy to let her go. The longer she spent picking her outfit, the less time she had to focus on his clothes. He absently plucked at the T-shirt he was wearing. It was soft and worn from years of use and held the faint scent of his cologne and marijuana. Hyde was fond of his clothes and he didn't particularly want to update his wardrobe. Still Annette had raised a good point. He appreciated the leeway she'd bought him with the backstory, but even he knew he would be pushing his luck. He was going to have to make an effort occasionally or he was going to blow their cover.

And he knew that going to this stupid party would make Jackie happy.

That realisation stopped him dead in his tracks. His fingers flexed before curling in on themselves. How long had it been since he'd done anything just to make Jackie happy? Simple answer: he'd forgotten the last time.

And that was the number one thing he hated about Beverly Hills, California. It existed outside of the facts of his known reality. In Wisconsin he was who he was and nobody had expectations of him, least of all her. But here? Something felt different. Three times since arriving here he'd found himself put in situations, with his consent no less, that served no other purpose than to make Jackie smile.

And he couldn't figure out if it was because he was forgetting his identity here, stuck in this giant mansion with the glamorous pool, or because he was beginning to question if he was who he thought he was in the first place. It was the kind of circular thinking he might do with a joint in hand.

"Can I help you?"

A woman with a pinched face had approached him and asked the question with the clear implication that helping him was the very last she wanted to do today.

Resisting the urge to just walk back out the door, Hyde tried to force a smile but could only wrangle a grimace. "I need something for a party."

The salesgirl wrinkled her nose like there was a bad stench. She raked her eyes over Hyde and her expression pretty eloquently tipped Hyde to her opinion.

"I don't think you're going to find anything to your tastes here."

Hyde had expected a snide comment but he still lifted his eyebrows at the blatant rudeness. He'd been hair-trigger since he'd had a tipsy Jackie in his arms and this was all the excuse he needed to let off some steam. Just as he opened his mouth to unleash some scathing sarcasm, a slender arm wound around his waist. Jackie eased into Hyde's body, effectively silencing him.

"Hi, we're new in town, so you can be forgiven for you ignorance – though not your taste in shoes." Every word was dripping with disdain as Jackie seized up the salesgirl, who had immediately began to shrink in on herself. "But my husband could literally buy this store ten times over. So how about you park the attitude and start doing your job. Which is falling all over yourself to help him find some clothes he likes. Got it?"

"Yes. Yes, Madam." The girl stuttered, cheeks flushed. Jackie didn't even flinch, staring down the girl with immunity to her discomfort. Hyde almost felt sorry for her. Almost. He was more impressed Jackie didn't tear into her again for calling her Madam.

"What's the occasion?"

"The Myers are hosting a barbeque." Jackie name dropped with absolute confidence but it worked because 'The Myers' clearly resonated.

"I'll find something that suits your colouring."

"You were brutal," Hyde murmured to Jackie, her arm still wound tightly around his body. He knew he sounded admiring but hell, he was.

"Yes, well, no one messes with my husband," Jackie replied, eyes tracking the salesgirl. "Especially not some snobby, assuming dillhole."

"I would have thought you'd empathise with her opinion of me?"

Jackie's gaze jerked back to him, her determined stare softening. "I didn't make you feel bad about yourself did I?" The question was completely unexpected.

The honest answer was yes but it stuck in Hyde's throat. Jackie had made him feel inferior a number of times but intentionally, never because she thought of him that way. She had always expected more of him than everyone else. And when he'd inevitably let her down, he'd felt like absolute shit about himself.

"Not on purpose," Hyde conceded softly.

Jackie's eyebrows furrowed but Hyde was saved from having to hear what she had to say next by the return of the salesgirl who was all politeness now. Hyde breathed a sigh of a relief. How could he explain that for the longest time, the best he could have hoped for was survival and maybe avoiding jail? And then Jackie came along, with her belief in him and he'd panicked.

Hyde was ushered into the change room where he was forced to try on a number of shirts and pants, the majority of which made him look ridiculous. He tried on a relatively plain polo which was a pale blue. He hated it the least.

"I look stupid," he grunted, before exiting the change room.

Jackie was staring at him. She moved uncomfortably and cleared her throat. "That one."

"You think?" Hyde asked, hating the way his voice rose an octave. He rubbed at the back of his neck and tried to look anywhere but at Jackie.

"It compliments your eyes," Jackie advised, shifting on her feet.

"The glasses stay!" Hyde stated with alarm.

"I know what your eyes look like." Her gaze locked on his face sending a rush of heat down Hyde's spine.

"We'll take it," Hyde said, his voice husky.

…

Jackie stood in the kitchen surveying the spread of ingredients in front of her. The recipe book was lying to the side opened at the correct page but she still felt overwhelmed. When Nancy had told her everyone was expected to bring one dish to be shared, it hadn't seemed like such a big deal. But now, confronted with all the ingredients, Jackie was sharply reminded that she didn't know how to cook.

She'd asked Eleanor for her advice and the house keeper had kindly suggested a potato gratin as something that was simple and achievable.

Jackie looked at the pile of potatoes and hesitantly picked up the knife.

"Who let you have sharp objects?"

Jackie jumped at Hyde's unexpected voice. She had been effectively avoiding him since they'd gotten back from the shops laden with bags. Jackie had used the pretext of wanting to try on all her new things, which wasn't a total lie, to disappear for the rest of the day.

Her skin was still flushed after seeing Hyde all dressed up. Not that she had ever minded the consistent stream of band T-shirts - they made his biceps look particularly appealing - but Jackie had built up a resistance to the sight. Seeing him wearing a polo was so unanticipated, Jackie couldn't possibly have mentally prepared for the sight or the warmth that travelled the length of her body.

"What are you doing here?" she blurted out.

Hyde swivelled to survey the kitchen. "Last I checked, I live here."

"Yeah but why are you _here_? In this room?"

"I want a beer." Hyde threw his hands up in the air. "What's with the twenty questions?"

"None of your business!" Jackie frantically looked down at the food. She really didn't want Hyde to laugh at her pathetic attempts to cook. But it was too late, he was already headed around the bench towards the fridge.

"Jackie? What are you doing?"

Jackie released a little sigh. "I'm trying to make something for the party tomorrow."

"Jackie, you don't cook."

"Hyde, I have a knife, so maybe consider your words!"

Hyde took a small step backwards, fighting off a smirk. "Alright, alright. Don't go bananas!" He walked to the fridge and grabbed a can of beer.

Jackie turned her back on the man and tried to focus. She picked up a potato and tried to cut it in half.

"You have to hold it."

That annoying raspy voice cut in again. Jackie grimaced and really wished he would just leave.

"Hyde, I need to concentrate and I really don't want to have to listen to you make fun of me."

"Normally, I would leave you to it but I _really don't want_ to have to drive you to the hospital when you cut off a finger."

Jackie pressed her palms to her cheek, trying to stay calm. "I hate cooking," she whined with a pout.

Hyde leaned against the bench and cracked the can open. "How can you fix a car with no problems but you can't dice a potato?"

"They're completely different skill sets," Jackie protested.

"They're really not," Hyde observed with a snort.

"Whatever, Hyde," Jackie snapped, smoothing back her hair. "If you have nothing helpful to add could you go away?"

Jackie picked up the vegetable, summoning up all her determination. She would make this stupid dish if it killed her.

A hand reached over her shoulder and plucked it out of the hand. Jackie looked up at Hyde questioning.

"Like I said, I don't want to have to drive you to the hospital. It will make Annette way too annoyed."

He gently nudged Jackie out of the way, effectively taking over the cooking process. Jackie watched in stunned silent as he quickly scanned the recipe, nodded once and got to work.

"She does not function well with no sleep," Jackie acknowledged slowly.

"Peel the potatoes," Hyde instructed, taking a sip from his beer. Jackie complied wordlessly, relieved and furious that he'd stepped in to help her. She might have produced something disgusting and inedible but it would have been hers. She hated that Hyde felt he had to rescue her.

Unable to bite her tongue any longer, Jackie couldn't resist sulkily saying, "not everyone can cook you know."

Hyde nodded, oblivious to her her tone, "no kidding. My ma couldn't cook to save her life. And she was the lunch lady."

"So now I'm your mother?" Jackie asked incredulously.

Hyde finally looked at her, lowering his sunglasses slightly.

"Well you're both so good at leaving," Hyde retorted after a pause. She thought she saw a tiny wince the second those words left his mouth.

The venom in his words hit Jackie like a sledge hammer. First he confessed that she had made him feel substandard and now he was comparing her to his mother. _His mother_.

"You know what, Hyde? You're not so bad at abandoning people yourself." Jackie's voice wavered. She folded her arms across her chest and curled her fingers around her elbows tightly.

For a minute the only sound was the knife on the cutting board. It was the calm before the storm. Jackie was holding her breath, knowing that he wouldn't be able to resist saying something awful, knowing she had provoked it.

"Didn't save me from being stuck in this house with the most annoying person in the world."

"Get bent, Hyde," Jackie snarled. "I didn't pick this."

"If you had just, for once in your life, kept your mouth shut then we'd both be at our own homes, carrying on with our own lives and I wouldn't have to look at your stupid face."

Jackie bit her lip at the onslaught and kept her chin high. "Please," she scoffed, "we both know you'd still be lurking on the side of my life like some kind of creeper."

"Creeper?"

"You heard me!"

"That was only because I got some sadistic pleasure from making your life hell," Hyde exclaimed.

"Whatever the reason was, it was pathetic. You really need to get over me, Steven."

Jackie immediately wished she could recall the words that had escaped her mouth. She hadn't called him Steven in months. Steven was someone who had been kind to her and loved her. She hadn't seen that man since well before the Chicago incident.

Hyde was vibrating with anger and seemed oblivious to the significance of the re-emergence of his first name. "You are so full of yourself," Hyde retorted, fingers gripped tightly around the knife.

"And you're an idiot," Jackie stammered out. Mind reeling from her slip up, she couldn't devise a better come back. Flustered and alarmed, Jackie grabbed at the band on her left finger, tugging it off.

"What are you doing?" Hyde asked in complete exasperation.

"Divorcing you!" Jackie threw the ring at him, hitting Hyde in the shoulder. "I'd rather be dead than married to you!"

"Fake married!" Hyde shouted, rubbing his arm.

Jackie huffed and tossed her hair, striding out of the kitchen. The food wasn't done but Jackie didn't care. She couldn't spend another second longer in that room with her ex. Hyde's moods were more changeable than the tides. One minute he was being nice to her and the next he was burning her with savage disregard for her feelings.

Jackie ran into her bedroom and slammed the door behind her. She threw herself on the bed and breathed heavily through her nose. She wouldn't cry. She wouldn't!

Jackie started to count slowly to ten, fighting to get her emotions under wraps. She was angrier at herself for starting to forget. Letting her sleep on his shoulder and helping her go to parties wasn't indicative of a change of heart. In fact, it was more likely part of a long con in which he was running against her to pass the time.

Hyde's favourite hobby was hurting her feelings and relocating to a different state hadn't changed anything. Jackie rubbed at her eyes until they stung but all threat of tears had been chased away. She was so tired. Days with not enough sleep had taken their toll. She couldn't drift off without at least the lamp on and even then she was woken every two hours by nightmares. It was the same story every night on repeat. A man with curly hair was forced to his knees in front of her and subsequently executed and before Jackie could scream in terror, a busty blonde flounced around the corner and told her that she was stealing Jackie's husband.

Every time Jackie woke paralysed – wracked with fear and sadness. Her forehead was sweaty as she waited for sensation to return to her limbs so she could move. Her mouth would be dry as if she had been shrieking in her sleep but she knew that not a sound had crossed her lips. If she had been making noise, Annette or Clyde would have come in guns blazing.

So Jackie spent the next hour or so shivering and feeling very small until she managed to relax enough to doze off. Only to have the whole horrible dream repeated when she did.

Tonight would be no different except maybe the kneeling man would tell her how much he hated her before he got shot in the head.


	6. Chapter 6

Jackie staggered out of her room at nine thirty, feeling like she had been hit by a freight train. She had lingered in her room as long as she could but if she didn't get moving soon, she would be late for the cook out.

Jackie had dragged herself into the shower, turning the temperature up as hot as she could stand it. After another night with no sleep, her body was wrecked. The steam eased some of the tension in her muscles but not in her heart.

The words she and Hyde had flung at each other were etched under her skin like scars. Saying his name, when she had resolved not to, made her burn with shame.

She tugged a robe on and traipsed towards the kitchen. Annette was buttering toast and Eleanor was washing the dishes.

Annette took one look at Jackie's face and winced. "Coffee, hun?"

Jackie must have looked like shit, Annette had never used a term of endearment for Jackie before.

Jackie frowned and nodded, not making eye contact with the FBI agent. She wished Donna was there. She missed her friend and confidant. They'd had their ups and downs but nothing could replace a best friend.

Annette scrutinised her closely but didn't comment. She dumped an extra spoonful of sugar in the coffee and handed the warm mug to her.

Jackie took a mouthful and let the hot, sweet liquid slide down her throat, enthusing her body with much needed heat. Jackie groaned and dropped her forehead onto the bench.

"Should I ask?" Annette questioned, exchanging a look with Eleanor. Jackie twisted her head so her cheek was flat against the cool marble but she could still look at the other two women.

"Are men always stupid?"

"Historically? Yes," Annette stated.

"Only 98 percent of the time," Eleanor caveated with a warm smile. "Marriage is hard though."

Eleanor's comment reminded Jackie that Eleanor thought her name was Melissa and she was married. To her, Annette was the couple's personal assistant, managing their social engagements, charity obligations and work commitments.

She was a nice woman in her fifties and Jackie felt like she was lying to Mrs Foreman whenever she lied to the friendly housekeeper.

Jackie proper her face up with her hand. "It is hard. Eleanor, what do you do when your husband hates you?"

"Hates you?" Eleanor repeated incredulously. Even Annette lifted her eyebrows at that comment. "Mr Thompson doesn't hate you!"

"He really doesn't," Annette added. She looked concerned. "Did he say something to you?"

Jackie flicked her eyes from her agent to Eleanor. "We had a fight," Jackie confessed. To her dismay her voice broke.

"I told him to behave," Annette muttered. Those words were ominous. Were all Hyde's kind gestures over the last couple of days because of a threat delivered by their guardian?

"People say silly things in the heat of anger," Eleanor counselled sagely.

"Those silly things hurt," Jackie whispered. "And now I have to go to this party and smile and be the happily married woman. And to make it worse, I don't even have anything to bring because I didn't make anything."

"Aren't you taking that?" Annette pointed at the container sitting on the kitchen bench, wrapped in foil.

Jackie's nose wrinkled in confusion. She got up to check out what the container held. "What is this?"

"A potato gratin by the looks of things," Eleanor stated.

Jackie shook her head in confusion. "I didn't make that."

"Someone did," Eleanor advised.

Something caught the light, luring Jackie closer. Heart in her throat, Jackie reached out to claim her wedding ring that had been placed carefully in the centre.

Eleanor's hand landed lightly on her shoulder. "I'll heat that up so it's ready for when you need to leave," Eleanor told her.

…

Jackie was late and Hyde was practically wearing the carpet down with his pacing. He already felt like a poser in his light blue polo and slacks. He'd contemplated just offing himself when Annette had tied a light sweater around his shoulder with a devilish smile.

"It's hotter than hell out there today," Hyde had protested.

"Being a pretentious asshole knows no temperature," Annette quipped. She was taking more pleasure in his discomfort than she rightly should. Hyde wondered whether Jackie had confided in the agent about their fight last night. She had given him a vaguely disappointed look when he'd finally bitten the bullet and emerged in his preppy outfit.

And they were still waiting on Jackie for some reason. She was taking forever to get ready. Hyde knew that she liked to put effort into her appearance but this was getting ridiculous. He wanted to go to this party, make a bit of excruciating small talk while half tanked and then be back in time to continue scouring the house for the mythological stash he was certain was squirrelled away somewhere. Hyde twisted the ring on his finger.

"Hurry up!" he hollered, patience evaporating.

"I'm coming! Keep your pants on." Jackie called.

"About time! What were you even doing?" Hyde snapped as Jackie appeared in the entranceway patting her hair. Any further complains died on Hyde's lips.

Jackie was wearing a strapless mint dress that hugged her subtle curves. Her dark brown hair was unbound around her shoulder in loose curls. She was beautiful.

How often had this woman stolen his breath and his words? Too many times.

She deserved compliments but the best Hyde could offer was his silence. After so many months of antagonism, that was a big gesture. Even he wouldn't tear her down when she looked like that. Hyde noticed that her gold wedding ring had been returned to her finger.

Seeing it filled him with an unexpected feeling. He identified it as satisfaction. He cursed under his breath.

"You look good." Jackie joined him. The words were softly spoken; a peace offering. But Hyde wasn't ready for an armistice.

"And it didn't even take me hours to accomplish," he taunted, knowing it would make her feel silly and ridiculous. He was an asshole extraordinaire.

He caught Annette's eye across the room, shaking her head in his direction. He had managed to annoy both women in the room with one comment. Two birds, one stone.

"Let's get this over with," Hyde snapped, picking up the dish he'd prepared last night after Jackie had lobbed her ring at him. He didn't wait to see if Jackie was following, stalking out the door into the heavy Californian daytime.

Jackie drew even with him and from the set of her shoulder, hurt had turned to anger. He preferred her fury to her pain.

"You can be awful to me in private," Jackie began, face stony. "But you're supposed to be my husband."

"What do you want, Jackie? Talk quick." The door to the Myers' was a few meters away.

"I know it's basically your hobby but can you not embarrass me in there?" Her expression was kept carefully neutral but Hyde knew her better than that. It wasn't just a request, it was a plea.

"Fine," Hyde agreed abruptly.

"Fine?"

Hyde nodded wordlessly. Some part of him was ashamed that she'd had to ask him not to humiliate her in front of strangers but hadn't he wanted that at some point? He had systematically been undermining her, breaking her down so she wouldn't expect anything but cruelty from him.

They were outside the front door, Hyde shifted the weight of the food to one hand and knocked a little too loudly on the expensive wood. The sun caught on his wedding ring, the small flare causing him to narrow his eyes. He dropped his hand and flexed his fingers.

Summoning his courage and he reached out to capture Jackie's hand, enveloping her small fingers in his. A startled noise escaped her throat. Nancy Myer was suddenly before them with a delighted squeal.

"I'm so pleased you two are here!"

Jackie hadn't regained her voice yet so Hyde was forced to fill the silence. "We brought you this," Hyde stated, foisting the potato gratin off on their smiling host.

"Aw you guys are so sweet!" Nancy cooed as if they hadn't asked all guests to bring a platter.

"Mel made it," Hyde lied evenly. He could hear the sounds of a party from further on in the house. Hyde was familiar with what he heard. That was the sound of drunk people. His mood lifted significantly at the prospect of alcohol. He could put up with a lot of snobby rich people if he got to drink their booze.

"Come through, come through," Nancy waved them in.

Jackie lingered on the door step, her grasp on his hand tightened. "They'll like you," Hyde murmured out of the corner of his mouth. He couldn't be a hundred percent certain but he was pretty sure that Jackie rewarded him with a smile.

…

Jackie had been forced to relinquish Hyde's hand, something she had been unexpectedly unwilling to do. The warm press of his palm against her was comforting.

The unfamiliar crowd of faces made her heart beat so hard she felt her pulse expand outwards until it was vibrating through her entire body. She'd once been the life of the party, a preppy extrovert who could charm just about anyone. And she had been rich enough to not care about the people who didn't like her. Jackie had bounced through life with bullet proof self-confidence. But cracks had shown in her armour after Michael's first infidelity, and the arrival of Sam had shattered it.

Weird that the person ultimately responsible for her destruction had been the one person she had been leaning on for comfort just before.

Unfortunately Nancy had stolen her away to meet the other ladies while Hyde had been handed a beer and locked in conversation with the men.

Which was how Jackie found herself by the food table, treading water, feeling like she was been circled by sharks. She'd been introduced to a group of women who were approximately in their early twenties. Nancy exclaimed it would be nice if Jackie could meet some people her own age. But as nice as Nancy was, her acquaintances were dead eyed, ruthless women in amazing shoes.

They had been polite enough when Nancy was present but as soon as she slipped away to "find the kids", the smiles turned frosty.

"So Melissa," Magdalene began with the clinical precision of an interrogator. "Which one is your husband?" Her teeth were a sharp white and blonde hair was feathered around her shoulders.

Jackie glanced around trying to find Hyde, she had to lift herself on to her toes to scout the crowd. She spotted him talking to a group of men and Hank, a beer in hand, shoulder relaxed. Jackie experienced a surge of envy. Shouldn't their roles be reversed? She was the one who liked parties, dressing up and people.

"Have you lost him? Magdalene asked snidely. The other women tittered unkindly, clearly deferring to Magdalene as the alpha.

"He's just there," Jackie pointed.

"Ah," one named Victoria cooed, "the scruffy one."

Jackie's eyes narrowed at that. "Scruffy?" she repeated. For some reason, their condescending tone hadn't rankled as much when it had been directed at her. When Hyde had become the target, it triggered the part of Jackie that had defended him for years against people who would make assumptions about him based on the dark glasses or constant supply of band shirts.

"Dear, he doesn't even look like he shaved today!" Victoria laughed.

Jackie resisted rolling her eyes, instead she affected an airy laugh. "You know how eccentric rich men can be. So focused that they forget some things."

Magdalene giggled too but the laughter didn't reach her eyes. She was still cataloguing Jackie, trying to figure out the new comer. "He must be very rich then."

"He is." Jackie's face a pleasant mask. _Round one me, bitch_! Jackie though savagely.

"What do you do?"

"Do?" Jackie repeated, dumbfounded. "As in a job?"

"Heavens no," Magdalene cried, throwing her hands in the air. "We don't need to work."

"Of course," Jackie agreed, thrown off balance.

"We picked Ivy League husbands for a reason," one named Amy piped up.

"Of course we had to go there ourselves in the first place," Magdalene said with an unnerving head tilt. "Did you go to an Ivy league school, Melissa?"

"No-"

"Of course not," Magdalene continued seamlessly over the top of her. "So how do you spend your time? What societies are you a part of? What charities do you volunteer with?"

Her questions were a barrage and Jackie wasn't prepared. Jackie's fingers twitched nervously. Her brain remained frozen. Her backstory was pathetic. The truth was even worse.

To these women, she was an unaccomplished heiress who had no hobbies or career prospects. In reality, she wasn't even rich and her dreams were long abandoned.

The silence endured, stretching into awkwardness.

"So? What do you do?"

"Nothing," Jackie answered simply with a shrug.

"Nothing? My goodness that is dull."

Not even Hyde had made her feel so small. Jackie Burkhart had never once been accused of being mediocre.

"And what do you do, Madge," a light voice drawled by Jackie's shoulder. "Busy emulating your namesake?"

Jackie couldn't spot her rescuer until she dropped her gaze slightly and it landed on a petite girl, barely fourteen.

Magdalene was irritated and confused by the sudden arrival of the teenager.

"She was a prostitute," the girl explained witheringly.

"How dare you?" Magdalene demanded, finding her voice.

The girl rolled her eyes in contempt. "Yeah and I'm so sure you just _love_ your husband. How old is he again? In his fifties right?"

Jackie's mouth dropped open in astonishment, while 'Madge' was turning a vivid shade of puce.

With a huff and a hair flick, Magdalene stormed off, the other women following like mindless hens.

The teenager glared at them until they were gone before spinning to face Jackie.

"I'm Jenny Myers." She stuck out her hand.

Jackie had suspected as much. Her cheek bones revealed the familial relation to Nancy.

Jackie reached out and took the girl's hand, shaking it firmly. "Melissa."

Jenny shrugged, "Yeah, I know." The teenager was wearing jeans, a Michael Jackson shirt and had unruly hair.

"Thanks for rescuing me from them." Jackie jerked her chin in the direction the pretty young ladies had flocked off in.

"They were rude. I don't like rude people," Jenny explained. She began picking her way towards the table groaning under the weight of the food.

"Me either," Jackie agreed following. Wordlessly Jenny passed her a plate and started to select food.

"You must be pleased to be home?" Jackie inquired to make conversation.

Jenny bit her lip, considering. "I don't like these stupid parties or these lame people but it's nice to see my parents."

"Your mum was pretty excited she was going to see you," Jackie told Jenny.

Jenny groaned. "She's so lame." But her cheeks turned pink and a pleased smile crossed her lips.

Jackie wondered what it would be like to have such a good relationship with her parents. They'd never really wanted to just spend time with Jackie. They'd had an accessory not a daughter.

"Yeah," Jackie agreed knowingly, "obviously mothers are lame."

Jenny looked up at her through her eyelashes, a slanted grin appearing. "Aren't you too rich to be sarcastic?"

"Oh you're never too rich to be sarcastic," Jackie advised with a hair flick.

Jenny reached the potato gratin and copped up a liberal serving. "This looks amazing."

"Oh I made that," Jackie exclaimed excitedly, bizarrely wanting to impress her teenage saviour.

"You actually cooked something? Most of the people here just had their chef make something."

"Well, I say made. In that I _made_ my husband make it." Jackie trailed off with a blush.

"Your husband is the cool one right?"

"Cool one?"

"My dad was talking about how he 'gets' music, which is a compliment from him. He was saying it was weird that he was in technology considering.''

"He does like music," Jackie conceded, wondering for the first time how Hyde felt about being separated from his record store. He would deny it but Jackie knew he loved that place. He had made it his own; inch by inch, month by month. It was possibly the first thing the he was genuinely proud of.

"So cool," Jenny repeated, cementing her point. "And headed this way."

Jackie's head jerked up, heart constricting painfully. Hyde was in fact walking in their direction, focused on Jackie. Like a deer in headlights, Jackie couldn't move and before she knew it Hyde was next to her. His hand went to the small of her back, warm even through her dress.

He ducked his head a little bit so he could talk directly into her ear. "Are you alright? I saw you looking over at me before."

"I'm fine," Jackie blurted out, flustered by his proximity.

"They were being mean to her," Jenny interjected, mouthful of food.

Hyde noticed the teenager for the first time. "Who is that?" He directed the question at Jackie.

"Someone who can hear!" Jenny exclaimed.

"Jenny Myers," Jackie explained. "Jenny meet my husband Greg."

"Nice to meet you," Hyde offered distractedly. He turned back to Jackie, "they were mean to you?"

"It was nothing," Jackie fibbed, not wanting to appear vulnerable in front of him.

"You're lying," Hyde observed succinctly. "You're fidgeting!"

Jackie stilled her hand, wishing he'd take a step backwards and give her some room to think. "Fine," she snapped, "they were mean to me."

Hyde's mouth thinned into stern line. "Those bitches. Want me to say something? You know making girls cry is practically my speciality."

The earnest offer startled a bark of laughter to escape from Jackie's mouth.

"I wouldn't worry," Jenny interrupted again.

"Why not?" Hyde demanded, not softening his tone just because he was talking to a teenager.

"Because they're only mean to her because they're jealous," Jenny said patiently as if talking to children.

Jackie's eyebrows lifted sceptically. She adjusted her dress self-consciously. "I don't think so."

Jenny rolled her eyes. "Really? Because you're totally cute, not stupid and you don't even look like you're in your twenties. Madge sees you as a threat. So she was mean to you."

Hyde rubbed the back of his neck while processing Jenny's words. He gave Jackie an almost imperceptible once over before nodding. "Checks out," he grumbled. "But I'll still make them weep if you want it?"

Jackie tried to keep her mind straight. His cursed hand was still on her lower back, hot as a brand.

She managed to shake her head. As much as the idea of Hyde unleashing some of his signature burns on those cruel girls appealed to her, she didn't want him causing a scene and drawing unwanted attention to them. They were supposed to be blending in.

Hyde shrugged. "If you say so, doll."

Jackie almost keeled over at the unforeseen pet name.

"If we're going to be putting up with these people for another couple of hours, you need alcohol. Lots of it."

Jackie was too breathless to answer so Jenny came to her rescue for a second time today. "She'd love some alcohol."

"I'm on it," Hyde stated, reaching up to squeeze Jackie's shoulder.

As he disappeared, Jenny sighed. "I told you he was cool."

Watching Hyde's retreating back, staring as if he had grown a second head. "He's not bad."


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: Please let me know what you think.**

Hyde drifted downstairs, sunglasses pushed right up on the bridge of his nose. Today they weren't just his typical shield from scrutiny but protection from the too bright sun of California. His eyes felt gritty from staying up too late and drinking too much.

The Myers' party had been more fun than he predicted and once he had realised which of Hank's friends were tolerable, it had been a pleasant event. He was still sore about the fact Jackie had been picked on but after she had been deftly extradited by a teenager who was small even compared to Jackie, she had seemed to enjoy herself too.

Hyde had made a point of not being too far away from her for the rest of the evening. He didn't want to be beyond help if those Chanel wearing vultures circled back around to have another go. The most puzzling part was that Jackie hadn't dealt with them herself. She was an intense force of nature, not likely to be broken by a few snide comments from women she barely knew.

The Jackie of old would have raised an eyebrow, smirked and informed them their jealousy of her obvious perfection was pathetic.

The Jackie he hadn't seen more than glimpses of in recent months. The Jackie he had hurt.

That probably explained the insidious hangover. Easier to drink to forgetfulness than think about the role he had played in their demise. Hyde had spent enough sleepless nights, sharing a bed with Sam, thinking about all those same things. He done nothing to fix it so what was the point of contemplation?

The wafting smell of bacon went some of the way to restoring his energy. A decent breakfast and a long shower would have him right as rain. He planned to have a lazy day of reading, silence and maybe a brief expedition into the basement to further explore the house. The two storey mansion had far too many rooms to conduct a thorough search swiftly.

Entering the kitchen, it became apparent that Hyde was the last person to make it to breakfast. Annette was drinking coffee at the bench, the newspaper tucked neatly under a plate of food. She looked well rested and groomed. In comparison, Jackie was a little less polished.

Her cheek rested in the palm of her hand as she sipped at a big glass of orange juice. She was still in her pyjamas, not an ounce of make-up in sight. The sun filtered through the sliding door, illuminated her porcelain skin. She was as beautiful, if not more so, here and now than she was yesterday in that mint green dress. A dress he was certain was going to make an appearance in his dreams.

It wasn't the first time he'd seen her without make up. She'd gotten pretty sick with the flu in the first few months of them dating and Hyde had been the one to look after her. After all it wasn't like she had reliable parents to do the job. He'd gone to the pharmacy, he'd made her soup and he'd watched a stream of cheesy movies that she'd chosen. At first she'd protested his presence but he'd rolled his eyes and crisply informed her that he thought she was pretty with or without make-up. After that, she'd permitted his attention and, going forward when it was just the two of them together, Jackie had relaxed her presentation. She still loved getting dressed up and putting on her face but Hyde got the sense she enjoyed it more when it didn't feel like an obligation. Like his sunglasses, Jackie used her appearance as her shield from the world. If she looked perfect than maybe people would think her life was.

It had been one of their first significant milestones of trust built between the pair of them. It had made Hyde realised that despite all their differences, there were some inherent similarities.

Jackie managed a faded smile in Hyde's direction as he slid into the chair across from her. Eleanor was busy in the kitchen but she paused to prepare a plate for Hyde.

"Big night?" she asked innocently, placing the food in front of Hyde. His stomach growled loudly at the sight of it.

"Reasonably so," Hyde confessed. He took a bite of the pancakes and wondered if he proposed to Eleanor here and now, whether she'd say yes. That way he could have access to her cooking full time, rather than the few hours she was in the house.

"That will help," Eleanor stated with a wink. "And if there is nothing else, I'll be off."

The housekeeper bade her farewells, promising to be back for dinner time.

"Coffee?" Annette asked, skirting amused glances over the slumped pair at the table.

"Does the mockery come extra?"

"Mockery always free," Annette quipped, pouring two mugs and placing them in front of Hyde and Jackie. Jackie caught the scent of the hot coffee and winced, turning pale. She had only picked at the contents of her plate.

"You should eat," Hyde advised casually, "you'll feel better."

Jackie's expression was eloquent. It asked when had he become so concerned with her wellbeing? But she didn't vocalise the question and instead took a small nibble from the bacon.

Hyde realised that Annette was watching him with her usual inscrutable eyes. Shifting uncomfortably, Hyde attempted to divert her attention.

"No scolding for drinking?"

Annette paused. "No. I'm not your parent. I trust you both not to be stupid and say anything damaging to your cover."

Hyde had to admit, he hadn't expected their guardian to be so relaxed for an agent of the law.

As if reading his mind Annette added, "You're not prisoners. You're allowed to have some quality of life."

"But no weed?"

"No weed, Mr Hyde."

Hyde was about to retort about the medicinal qualities and the benefits to his mental health when there was a knock on the door. It made Jackie jump and even Hyde felt a weight in the pit of his stomach. No one had knocked on their door yet. But Annette was calm as she pushed away from the bench and went to answer it.

She returned within minutes leading one of the handsomest men Hyde had ever seen in his life.

…

Jackie just about spat out her juice when that man arrived in their kitchen. He was tall, possibly Latino and incredibly good looking.

Acutely aware of her bare face and pyjamas, Jackie tried to sit up straighter in her chair. She hastily pushed her hair behind her ears.

"This is Carlos, he'll be working on the gardens this summer."

"Nice to meet you," Carlos said smoothly with an easy smile that revealed perfect teeth. Jackie's cheeks flushed when his gaze fell on her and she wondered how conspicuous if she dashed out of the room and emerged in half an hour in a more civilised fashion.

Jackie meant to introduce herself. She intended to say something normal like 'how are you?' or 'so pleased to make your acquaintance.'

"Just the summer?" escaped instead. The question was raspy and not at all suave. Carlos didn't indicate that he thought anything of her random outburst but Hyde was looking at her incredulously.

"I'm only home for the summer, I have to go back to study when it ends."

"What do you study?" Hyde's question was innocuous but to Jackie's ears it sounded hostile.

"I am studying law at Harvard."

"So you're smart," Jackie assessed dreamily.

Carlos' perfect cheekbones assumed a ruddy tinge. "I'm ok," he dismissed modestly. Jackie swooned, Hyde scowled.

" _Muy bien_ ," Jackie breathed.

"¿ _Tú hablas español_?" Carlos inquired of Jackie.

" _Un poco_ ," Jackie confessed, trying to sound modest. In reality, Jackie spoke Spanish fluently. But she was liking the way Carlos was looking at her more closely. As if she might be more than he expected too.

" _Miro adelante a hablar con usted más_."

Hyde was following their exchange like a tennis match, probably not understanding all that much considering he didn't even remember his highschool Spanish class. Jackie could feel him bristling across the table and she experience a double dose of excitement. Not only did she now have a hot, intelligent man to converse with, it appeared to be making Hyde jealous.

"I must begin work," Carlos stated.

"I'll show you where everything is," Annette offered. He nodded his farewell and followed Annette out into the back garden. Jackie tracked his exit until he was no longer visible.

Hyde cleared his throat and Jackie reluctantly turned to her ex, expecting no end of jokes at her expense.

"I never knew you spoke Spanish?"

Jackie hadn't anticipated that. "Most of my nannies when I was young spoke Spanish. I think I learnt that before English."

It was a stark reminder that for her formative years she had received more love and affection from employees than from her parents. Nearly all the fairy-tale princesses Jackie had heard about, every nursery song she'd been sung, had been in a language from another country.

Hyde twisted the larger ring on his pinkie finger, the one he'd actually chosen to wear, and an awkward silence descended on the kitchen.

It was broken by the arrival of Clyde. Stoic, quiet Clyde who had only spoken a handful of words to either of them, preoccupied with the constant threat scanning.

"This came for you, Jackie," he said levelly, handing her a piece of paper and providing no other context.

Confused, she picked it up and unfolded the page. Scrawled in loopy handwriting was an offer from Nancy inviting her to join her and few friends for lunch.

Jackie handed it back to Clyde for him to view, though she had suspected he'd already read it before presenting it to her. "Can I go?"

The agent cursorily scanned the words before nodding. Jackie still had a few hours to get ready but she didn't want to spend them in Hyde's company so she exited the kitchen and made her way to her room with no explanations. If Hyde wanted to know where she was going he could ask Clyde.

Jackie passed her time showering and slowly brushing her hair, making herself presentable. With each action, she felt more grounded, more reminded of herself. She whiled away the rest of the time, lounging on her bed and casually flipping through a magazine. In the complete light of daytime, she was able to relax in a way that she couldn't when the night encroached.

It was easy to pretend there were no monsters when the shadows had been chased away.

There was apprehension gnawing in the pit of her stomach. Jackie hoped these friends would be nicer to her than the ones she had met the day before.

When she was due to meet Nancy, Jackie trailed out the front door without saying goodbye to anyone. Nancy was waiting for her by the front door and she pulled Jackie into a long hug upon seeing her.

"I'm so sorry about Magdalene's behaviour," the older woman hurried to say, rubbing Jackie's back. The pure, uncomplicated affection of the gesture made Jackie's throat tighten. "Jenny told me what happened."

"I'm sure she didn't mean to be so nasty," Jackie concluded falsely.

Nancy released her and shook her head. "Oh she's a piece of work that one but her husband is very involved in the local social scene so unfortunately she's impossible to avoid. I didn't think she would be so overt though."

"It's alright," Jackie promised, the last of the sting of the insults soothed by Nancy's kindness.

Nancy looped her arm through Jackie's and led her towards the car. "These women are much nicer," she promised. A neutral-faced driver opened the door for Jackie and Nancy to climb in.

A head popped around the side of the front passenger seat. Jackie's hand flew to her chest.

"Jenny, you scared me!"

The youth's grin was wicked and unapologetic. "Sorry."

"Jenny Myers, what have I told you about spooking the guests?" Nancy rebuked.

"Only the ones you and dad don't really like?"

"Exactly!"

"Are you coming to lunch too?" Jackie asked. She knew it was ridiculous but if Jenny was there at least she'd have an ally.

"No, I'm going to the music shop. I still haven't gotten the Sony Walkman and it came out in _June_!"

They pulled up in front of flash restaurant and Jackie nervously pondered how much money she had put in her purse before leaving the house. Unfortunately Hyde had kept possession of the credit card.

Jenny darted out of the car and disappeared down the street with barely a wave in their direction.

"Be back in two hours," Nancy called after her daughter.

"Are you enjoying having them home?" Jackie asked, realising she hadn't had an opportunity to meet their son yet.

"It's louder," Nancy stated, "but I love having them here."

As the waiter led them to their table, Jackie focused on keeping her breathing even. She loathed that she was nervous. She was Jackie freakin' Burkhart.

Three women were already seated at the table. Their faces were familiar to Jackie and she assumed she'd seen them at the party. They were fashionable woman in their forties and fifties who welcomed her warmly when Nancy performed the introductions.

"I would have introduced you yesterday but I thought you'd prefer to meet people closer to your own age," Nany explained, lowering herself into the seat in seamless timing with the waiter who pushed her chair in at the same time. Jackie was less graceful and the chair knocked the back of her knees, jostling her slightly.

"What she means to say is that we're over the hill," Dorothy explained, her eyes twinkling.

"I would never say that," Nancy protested, causing the other women to laugh good-naturedly.

"You barely look a day over twenty though," Patricia observed, leaning forward. "What's your secret?"

"Good skin care regime," Jackie lied easily, shoulders already relaxing. These women seemed to have no interest in dissecting her.

The third woman, Betty, handed her a menu. "The food here is to die for."

"And then we die when we try and run it off," Nancy joked, gesturing for the waiter to come closer.

Jackie's tension levels sky rocketed when she saw the prices. But Nancy was handing over a credit card as Jackie desperately tried not to panic.

"It's on me today, Ladies."

"Nancy, that's too much," Jackie began to protest.

The women found her objections amusingly bizarre. "It's just lunch, Mel," Nancy stated and Jackie was reminded that while a salad here was a week's worth of rent to her, it was nothing to the wealthy women seated next to her.

An easy conversation began and it quickly became apparent to Jackie that it wasn't just a social gathering. They were discussing a charity ball in two weeks' time that was to raise money for the underprivileged children of California.

Jackie followed with interest, admiring the efficient way they discussed finances, entertainment and catering.

"We wanted to know if you'd help, Melissa?"

Jackie almost choked on the prawn she had just put in her mouth. "Me?"

Patricia patted her helpfully on the back, while half the restaurant swivelled in their seats to sneak a glance at the spluttering girl.

"We could really use a young viewpoint," Betty clarified honestly. "From someone not insipid."

"But why me?" Jackie pushed.

Dorothy splayed her hands. "Why not you?"

That was a good question. Why not Jackie? She was quick thinking and had grown up seeing the parties her parents had thrown. Granted they would seem small in comparison to what the ladies had described but Jackie had excellent taste and an intuitive sense for planning.

"I'd love to," Jackie managed when she realised they were still waiting for her response.

"Oh that's wonderful," Nancy enthused, appearing genuinely happy that Jackie had said yes. A warm content settled in her stomach followed by the all but forgotten sensation of purpose.

"This calls for celebration," Patricia decreed, summoning their waiter and ordering a bottle of champagne that was Jackie's rent for three weeks.

"Two weeks is long enough to find a dress, right?" Nancy inquired as Jackie sipped from a delicate flute filled with fizzing bubbles. They fluttered pleasantly against Jackie's lips.

"I think I can manage," Jackie decided.

"I still have to find my own," Dorothy admitted, frowning lightly.

"You don't have yours?" Patricia sounded astonished.

"I thought you had a personal shopper helping?" Betty added.

"I did and she is insisting I wear this dress. But something about it doesn't feel right and I can't put my finger on it." Dorothy rummaged in her purse before producing a brochure that had been carefully folded. Without thinking, Jackie reached across the table and plucked it from Dorothy's hand.

She examined the picture and looked at Dorothy. In her late forties, Dorothy was very attractive. Her skin was lightly tanned and her brunette hair was closer to honey.

"It's because you're an autumn and the colour she's chosen doesn't suit you," Jackie explained.

Dorothy's eyes lifted in surprise. The women exchanged secretive looks unbeknownst to Jackie.

"It's an easy mistake to make, autumns suit warmer colours but this mulberry is too strong and heavy for you." Jackie realised they were staring at her. "I'm sorry – you didn't ask. Sometimes I talk without thinking."

"What would you suggest?" Nancy prompted.

Suddenly self-conscious, Jackie twisted her fingers under the table. But she knew fashion. "A violet colour."

"Since you know so much, you better go shopping for me then," Dorothy decided with a grin.

…

Hyde was finding the house conveniently deserted that afternoon. Annette was holed up in the kitchen, pouring over documents and drinking her ninth cup of coffee. Clyde was who knew where doing special agent things. Jackie was still at lunch and the annoyingly gorgeous gardener was thankfully nowhere to be seen.

In short, it was the ideal time to do some investigating of his own. The basement was his goal today and he made his way down cautious of making too much noise. He wasn't sure what he'd say to Annette if she caught him skulking around in the dark. Maybe she wouldn't think anything of it?

Hyde prepared a sappy excuse in his head just on the safe side. Something about missing his home with the Foreman's. It wasn't even a total lie but even he wouldn't assuage homesickness by lurking around in a dank basement.

The basement held a series of three doors that led to other rooms. Despite Hyde's reasoned thought process, he couldn't help but notice this would be the perfect setting for a horror film. Pushing aside his concerns with scorn, he jerked the door open. There were a pile of cardboard boxes, writing on the sides.

"Photographs, sweaters, toys." Hyde read the labels out loud. His voice sounded too loud in the heavy silence of the basement. Superstition and respect be damned, he intended to riffle through each of those boxes. But not before he checked out the other rooms.

The next one he tried held something much more desirable. He'd found the cellar.

"This is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen," he announced, observing row after row of wine and spirits. Say what you like about rich people, they did alcohol well. Acknowledging that he would also be spending significant time becoming acquainted with that room, Hyde moved on to the third and final door.

This room was largely empty but for two relatively small boxes. The least interesting of the three rooms, Hyde would have walked back out immediately if not for something grabbing his attention. Like the boxes previously, there was writing printed on the side. But instead of a mundane description of the contents, these two boxes read 'S. Hyde' and 'J. Burkhart.'

Hyde pushed his sunglass up on his head to make sure his eyes weren't playing tricks on him in the dim light.

Realising that was in fact his name on a box in the basement of a mansion, Hyde approached it. Kneeling down he opened the top. It was half filled with documents. And he was the subject of all of them.

Tugging Jackie's closer, he opened it too and saw the contents were similar. He dug up a random handful of papers and flicked through them. It was immediately apparent that there was some very personal information in here. One document was stamped in bold red letters _Sensitive: relevant eyes only_.

With a start, Hyde realised he was looking at Jackie's medical records. He intended to throw them down but he saw the word pregnant and stopped.

He had done a lot of shitty things to Jackie but he'd never invaded her privacy like this. Still he couldn't not know the context, unable to release the breath he was holding until he knew whether this had anything to do with him.

Reading the date, he exhaled harshly. It was when she was dating Kelso and it had turned out to be a false alarm. Familiar jealous flared when he thought about her and Kelso. Hyde put down the file gently, determined not to read any more. He remembered when she thought she was pregnant. Hyde felt a niggling of guilt for fifteen year old Jackie, having to deal with something so massive with only Kelso as support.

Pushing Jackie's box away, he reached again for his. He found his own medical records and flicked through them curiously. If the FBI had read this, they knew more than he did about himself. Apparently Edna had managed to parent competently enough to get him all his required vaccinations as a child. He also found the birth certificate that had changed his parentage.

He pulled out another document titled _Character Assessment_. This one hadn't been created on a type writer but hand written. Hyde recognised the script as belonging to one agent Godfrey.

It was a compilation of comments provided about him from people in his life. Scratching his head, Hyde wondered how she had gotten this information. When had she had time to interview his friends and family without his knowledge?

It contained nothing very unexpected. Red called him a dumbass at least twice and Kitty had speculated how "a mother could abandon such a sweet boy?"

Kelso had reflected on his uncanny ability to trick him (mind control apparently) and deliver a bruising punch. Fez had advised that his friend was the coolest son of a bitch and always managed to 'bag hotties.' That assessment disconcerted Hyde – he could almost imagine the feverish, fanatical way his friend had shared his thoughts.

Foreman's was by far the most complimentary, noting Hyde's loyalty and enduring friendship. The last paragraph of text belonged to Jackie. They'd asked Jackie? He hadn't been asked to provide comment on her! Vaguely Hyde recalled Annette approaching him a number of times to discuss something but he'd dismissed her every time.

 _Steve_ _Hyde is poor_ \- it began, evoking an eye roll from Hyde- _but he is confident and good looking so it's easy to forget that. He is really smart but he doesn't brag about it. He protects his friends and tries to make you feel better when you're sad. His stupid parents left so I don't think he thinks much of himself but he is pretty great. He was really supportive and I trusted him to see me. Really see me._

Hyde blinked at the summary Jackie had provided, scribbled in her own hand. Her description of him made his stomach tight, knowing this was how Jackie saw him pleased him more than it should have. Until he read the next five words.

 _At least he used to._

His stomach dropped.

 _Something made him change. Hyde is immature and distant. He can be petty, hurtful and cruel when he wants to make you suffer. Honestly, I think I scared him and that's why he lashes out of me. Expecting more of him made him doubt that I liked him for him._

 _I think that's when he stopped loving me._

Hyde read the last sentence over and over again, burning the words into his brain. _That's when he stopped loving me_.

That's what she thought? That he had stopped loving her? Hyde wasn't even sure that was true now.

She was so close it hurt though. When she had started expecting more from him, it had frightened the crap out of him. He had known it was only a matter of time before he disappointed her, only a matter of time before _she_ stopped loving _him_. So no, that's not when he stopped loving her.

That's when he'd given up. That's when he'd run away. That's when he'd given in to cowardice.

That's when he'd fulfilled every stupid, goddamn prophecy his mother had for his future about him being alone and poisoning everything good around him.

There were a few more lines and Hyde forced himself to read them. These had been supplied by Annette so were less likely to do more damage than the razor sharp thoughts of Jackie Burkhart.

 _Assessment: above information provided by (disgruntled?) ex-girlfriend. Veracity of this information cannot be determined at this point in time._

 _Re-assessment: accurate._


	8. Chapter 8

Hyde had to admit there were some pros to the California weather. The blue sky stretched gloriously overhead, the sunshine enough to make even him slightly less cynical today. And being rich seemed to be the way to enjoy it.

He didn't want to morph into a vapid, brain dead drone, selling out to the man. But, if he could earn enough money in his lifetime he wouldn't hate to have a pool installed in his backyard.

Hyde wouldn't be caught dead in shorts but he did forgo his usual boots, padding outside barefoot with the July issue of Rolling Stone tucked under his arm. The actors from Star Wars adorned the cover, which made him think of Foreman unexpectedly. This whole mess would be a lot better if he was sharing the house with his best friend. Actually, strike that. All Eric would do is whine about being separated from Donna and since they'd confiscated his stash, Hyde would have nothing to take the edge of his annoyance.

Hyde made a beeline for the a deckchair in the sun, ready to spend a few hours doing nothing but flicking through his magazine in silence.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Thompson."

The startling greeting had Hyde jumping in a very uncool fashion. He whipped his head around to glare at Carlos. God was this guy everywhere? Always smiling so pleasantly and being polite. It annoyed Hyde to no end.

Hyde attempted to force the tension out of his shoulders. "You can call me, Greg, man," he snapped. "None of this Mr Thompson bullshit."

Carlos' smile deepened just like Hyde's sudden desire to punch him in his ridiculously handsome face. Seriously, wasn't it illegal for him to be such a blazing hunk? He was the type of guy who'd put a dent in Kelso's mammoth self-esteem.

"I see you read Rolling Stones. I also like this magazine."

Hyde's eyebrows lifted behind his shades. "You're into music?" What a stupid question? Who _didn't_ like music? Hyde stilted inquiry made it sound like he was flirting (and failing) with Carlos.

"Oh yes." Carlos nodded enthusiastically.

"What type do you listen to?" Hyde was being a little bit of an asshole. He wanted to see if he met up to the lofty standards Hyde had for music.

"I like Zeppelin. That band is awesome."

"Right on. Zeppelin rocks!" Hyde's excitement burst forth unbidden and was quickly tempered with a scowl.

Carols was oblivious to the volatile mood swings that Hyde was exhibiting.

"I enjoy listening to rock music at home," Carlos confessed. "My mother does not care for it. She thinks it is sinful."

Hyde had to laugh at that. He could still picture the displeasure on Kitty's face when she had shown up at the record store with Sex Pistols in hand.

"If you want, I have some records that I can lend you. Stuff that will _really_ make your mom want to pray."

"That is very kind, Mr Thompson."

"Greg," Hyde corrected again but with less of a snarl. How could he yell at a fellow Zeppelin fan? "Remind me tomorrow, ok?"

Carlos confirmed that he would and then indicated he had to return to work. It was still weird to have staff and Hyde wasn't entirely comfortable with it. Still, it gave him an insight into what his life would have been like if he had grown up with W.B. Better obviously. Then again, W.B. could have lived in a cardboard box and still been a better parent than Edna or Bud.

Hyde collapsed into the chair and took a deep breath, filling his lungs all the way down to his abdomen. He held the air and then released it slowly. It would have gone better with a joint in hand but the ritual was soothing all the same.

He opened the magazine up in his lap and barely got the first sentence into the first article before the sliding door opened and Jackie flounced out into the sun. Hyde was glad he had his glasses pushed right up or she might have noticed the way his eyes gleamed briefly. She was wearing small shorts and what looked like not much more than a bra. She was more naked than clothed.

" _Hola_ , Carlos," she called with a little finger wave. The handsome gardener paused in his work to wave. His eyes lingered on Jackie for a beat longer than was necessary and Hyde suddenly recalled why he wanted to beat on him. It still blew his mind that Jackie spoke fluent Spanish. How had he not known that about her when they were dating?

Jackie had a towel over her shoulder which she nonchalantly spread along the grass close to the pool. Hyde didn't warrant a ' _hola'_ apparently, or a greeting in any kind of language. He was still stewing about the scathing words written in his assessment.

Jackie stood in the centre of the towel with her hands pressed together in prayer pose and curiosity got the better of Hyde. His eyes left the pages of the magazine to subtly survey what his ex-girlfriend was up to.

Jackie began stretching and Hyde realised she was doing a series of yoga postures. Donna had maybe mentioned that Jackie had started practicing in the last year, alternatively dragging Donna, Fez or Kelso along. Kelso had demonstrated a real knack for it allegedly – turns out emptying his mind of all thoughts came to him naturally.

Hyde tried not to snort as he saw straight through Jackie's act. She never did deviate too far from her go to moves and Jackie liked to remind him that she was beautiful.

Whatever, like he didn't know that! He had eyes, didn't he? The thing was if Hyde's self-control was so frail that a pretty girl was his downfall, then he would have been making out with Jackie Burkhart when she'd first kissed him, cheeks wet from crying over the latest heart break Kelso had inflicted on her.

Jackie reached her palms down to touch her toes, demonstrating just how flexible she was. The best response was to ignore her until she got bored. Hyde tried to return his attention to the article before him where he read the same sentence seven times. Ignoring her wasn't working.

"Can't you do that in your room or something?" His tone was flat.

"It's called 'Salute to the sun.' It needs to be done _in_ the sun! Duh."

Hyde rolled his eyes. "Is it also called 'Salute to being half-naked'?"

Jackie fixed him with a steely stare that was somewhat diminished by the fact she was near upside down. "Maybe in the original Sanskrit?"

"Do you even know what that Sanskrit is?" Hyde taunted, warming up to the method of attack.

"Yes. Do you know what silence is? As in, maybe I could get some?"

Hyde wrinkled his nose in her direction. He was about to childishly point out that he'd been there first and if she wanted quiet then maybe she should leave. But he saw that he didn't really have her attention. She'd flick her eyes to him when she dissed him but then they wandered away immediately afterwards.

It suddenly occurred to him that Jackie's little show wasn't actually for him. She was scoping out Carlos, Hyde was just an incidental audience. His fingers curled around the magazine, dinting the glossy pages.

The realisation floored him. He'd had front row seats to her brief infatuation with Fez but that had been so ridiculous it had stirred nothing but amusement in Hyde. Carlos was slightly different. Hyde couldn't blame her for wanting Carlos with his good looks, good manners, sexily accented English, pending college degree and bitching taste in music. Heck, Hyde half wanted to do it with himself.

If she wanted to try and attract Carlos' attention then she could go right ahead. It wasn't like she could actually do anything with the tan Adonis. Sleeping with the gardener would undermine the illusion of their sham marriage.

Jackie had spread her legs wide and was slowly, oh so very slowly, lowering her palms towards the ground, neatly folding herself in half. And if that had been that, Hyde's zen would have stayed intact. But when Jackie let out a soft and breathy moan as she pushed her body to the limits of flexibility, it ran through Hyde like a bolt of electricity. It jerked down his body leaving white hot heat in its wake.

He didn't know what was worse; how familiar that sound was –he'd heard that _exact_ same noise in his ear with fingernails digging into his back – or that it wasn't for his benefit anymore?

With a glance, Hyde saw that Jackie had struck gold and had Carlos' undivided attention now. He looked a bit stunned by what he was seeing but not in a bad way.

Hyde couldn't stay there a moment longer. He hauled himself to his feet as Jackie teasingly lifted herself back into an upright stance, looking plenty pleased with herself.

Hyde's attraction see-sawed swiftly back into anger and as he strode past, he couldn't resist a petty act of revenge. With a well-placed hand on her back, he propelled Jackie towards the pool.

But Jackie had the reflexes of a cat and in an effort to prevent her unexpected swim, she twisted and tied to grabbed onto something. Her fingers found his shirt, unbalancing Hyde and sending them both tumbling into the water.

Hyde came up for air spluttering, water streaming down around his ears. They had toppled into the deep end and he could only scrap the bottom of the pool with the tips of his toes. Jackie surfaced a lot less gracefully than she'd been doing her yoga. Her black hair was plastered to her forehead and her sexy dignity had vanished as she coughed and flailed her arms.

Her petite stature meant she couldn't get her feet on the ground and therefore was struggling to catch her breath. Realising this, Hyde reached his hand out and grabbed her elbow. Jackie's arms wound around his neck, her legs wrapped around his waist and she sucked in uneven breaths.

Hyde was aware of how close she was to him, her body pressed along his with their damp clothes not doing much to dull the sensation of holding a near naked Jackie in his arms. Her forehead was against his and Hyde instinctively clutched a little bit tighter.

Jackie looked down at him with those large, expressive eyes and suddenly Hyde was the one having trouble breathing.

"Stop looking at me like that," he said softly. It was half a joke, half a serious request. When she had loved him, Jackie looked at him like she expected him to save the world. It was how she was gazing at him now. Before it had put a near unbearable pressure on him. How was he supposed to live up to those high expectations of hers?

Right now it was worse, because he knew he'd already disappointed her and that this expression was temporary. In a second, reality would seep back in and he wouldn't be the guy who held her above water, he'd be the guy who let her drown.

His thoughts churning violently, Hyde hadn't noticed Carlos had come running and was now reaching down to pull Jackie out of the pool as if she weighed nothing.

Just like that, Hyde's arms were as empty as he deserved.

Carlos set Jackie on her feet, asking if she was alright, before extending a hand to offer Hyde help as well.

Hyde ignored the assistance. He had gotten himself into this mess, he could damn well get himself out.

…

Jackie had scrambled away from the pool. In a way, her plan had gone perfectly. Handsome Carlos had scooped her up with his strong arms, she succeeded in getting his full attention.

But somewhere between standing on solid ground and falling into the water, the man whose attention she wanted had changed. And that was unacceptable.

She'd left both men watching her exit as she stammered something about needing to see Nancy for dress shopping.

It wasn't a complete lie, she had promised that she would pop around at some point so they could go find dresses for the impending ball but it had been implied Jackie wouldn't come around until after lunch.

Jackie threw on some clothes and darted across the road and knocked on the door too loudly.

Nany answer it looking startling. "Melissa? Is everything ok?"

Jackie smiled broadly and insincerely. "I'm just real excited to go shopping."

Nancy arched a flawlessly manicured eyebrow, folded her arms and leaned against the doorframe. "Uh huh?"

The pressure began to build up in her chest, angry energy pricking her skin and fingers dancing by her side. "Why are boys so stupid?" it burst out of her mouth.

"There it is," Nancy noted with wry grin.

Jackie's frustration was unleashed. "They just blow hot and cold the whole time. If he's not giving me a headache, he's raising my blood pressure!"

Nancy nodded sympathetically. "It's part of sharing your life with someone, Melissa. It's the good and the bad."

"What if it's more bad than good?" Jackie regretted the question almost instantly but it was too late. She knew the FBI wanted them to be a scandal free couple but she hadn't had anyone to confide in for what felt like the longest time.

"I wish I had a simple answer for you, honey," Nancy reached out to rub Jackie's arm. "But I think that being in love isn't static. If you have history with someone's there are ebbs and flows. I think it is entirely possible you fall in and out of love with the same person many times over."

Her words froze Jackie's heart. That wasn't tolerable. The answer was hormones or proximity, not resurrected connections.

"I was definitely out of love with Hank the summer of '71 when he had grown a ridiculous mustache," Nancy quipped to lighten the mood.

Jackie managed a weak laugh.

"Besides, I've seen the way he looks at you when he thinks no one is looking at him."

Jackie's pulse pounded in her ears as she tried to ignore what Nancy had said, to disregard the way it made her breathing hitch.

"Let me go grab my purse then we can go."

Go. That was suggestion was pretty in line with Jackie's base instincts. She wanted to run, far and fast, away from what was beginning to happen.

…

"Is Dorothy sure she doesn't want to come?" Jackie queried of Nancy when they were sat in the car.

Nancy shook her head. "She said she trusted you and with everything else she is organising she doesn't have the time."

"Lucky someone escaped," came a teenage grumble. Jenny had been herded out to the car by her mother.

Jackie had been beyond relieved to see her. It was hard to stay introspective when confronted with the truly powerful ability of a teenager to sulk. From her snide, unhappy comments, Jackie surmised Jenny was being sent to pick a dress for the ball. Enshrined in a Van Halen t-shirt that wouldn't have looked out of place in Hyde's wardrobe, she was absently picking at her dark purple nail polish with a deep scowl.

"I have to run a few errands myself but I'll meet you at the boutique in an hour?" Nancy clarified, ignoring her pouting daughter.

"Sounds good," Jackie said with a shrug. "I'll find something for Dorothy and myself."

"And you pick something too, Jen," Nancy pointed a warning finger in her direction.

"Whatever," Jenny mumbled, throwing herself out of the car before it had even come to a complete stop.

Nancy scrunched her face. "Love you," she called at the retreating back. A genuine smile rose unbidden on Jackie's face as she followed Jenny towards the shop.

"Hey, hold up!" Jackie jogged to catch up with the girl which was no easy feat in her platform heels. "Why are you so angry about this?"

"Do I look like a dress girl?" Jenny demanded, pushing the door open. A sales girl approached but was quickly deterred from approaching any closer when confronted with Jenny's righteous fury.

Jackie raised apologetic hands in the direction of the sales girl. "You look like a girl."

"And a girl _has_ to be feminine?"

Jackie rubbed at her temples. "That came out wrong. I don't think any female is just one thing. Just because you like rock music, doesn't mean you can't like dresses. Just because you're a cheerleader, doesn't mean you don't like chess."

"Chess?' Jenny repeated in confusion, "What does chess have to do with anything?"

"Nothing. It's irrelevant and even if it were, I be totally good at it," Jackie chattered. "My point is whether you don't like dresses or you think you don't like dresses?"

Jenny gestured at a fluffy, pink gown to her left. "I don't like that."

"Fine. Then don't get that! That's not the only type of dress there is."

Jenny tilted her head and considered her words. Jackie hadn't had someone listen to what she had to say and properly consider it for a while. She liked to be taken seriously and that was one of the things she missed from her relationship with Hyde. He wasn't perfect but when she spoke, he had listened. Well, once.

"Alright."

"Alright?" Jackie prompted.

"You're cooler than most old people-"

"Thanks," Jackie drawled."

"- so I'll give you the benefit of the doubt."

Jackie rewarded her young friend with a crooked grin. "Let's find something spectacular in violet, then dresses for the pair of us!"

…

Hyde had his feet up on the coffee table in the lounge area watching some inane afternoon chat show when an FBI agent stalked into the room. As law enforcement went, he didn't half mind Anette Godfrey, she spoke bluntly and wasn't in the least intimidated by his surly attitude.

But from the set of her face in this moment, he was going to find her a lot less amenable than usual.

Hyde grimaced in anticipation, rubbing his fingertips together nervously.

She had a manila folder in her hand that provided some fairly specific evidence to what this reprimand was likely going to pertain to.

"You've been snooping." It was definitely an accusation.

"I did not." Hyde mustered a cursory protest, not really taking his eyes off the screen.

"You are very difficult, you know that?"

"I do now. That assessment made for some pretty interesting reading," he fired back, changing tact almost immediately. "It was about me, I had a right to read it."

Annette looked bored. "Yeah and who do you think that reading it hurt more? The man? Or you?"

"Get bent, I'm fine."

"Uh huh, sure."

There was a loaded silence before Annette sunk into the chair across from him. Her aggression seeped away in an instant. "You know there was positive commentary in there too?"

Hyde only offered a grunt as response.

"So why are you choosing to focus only on the negative parts?"

Hyde didn't like where she was going with this but chose to hold his tongue.

"Is it because it came from Jackie and she's really the only one whose opinion means anything?"

Hyde snorted, "She's not special."

Annette ignored him and put her palm on the paper in her hand. "I know you care about the Foreman's and W.B. but you're more certain that they care about you unconditionally. You can just be you and retain their support. But Jackie's affections have to be lived up to. Am I getting close to the mark?"

"Do you have a point?" Hyde snapped. His stomach was feeling hollow and his shoulders weak as if merely the mention of Jackie's expectations had placed weight on them. He'd experienced it just this morning and he had almost missed it. Missed having her look at him like her hero.

"You pushed her in the pool?"

"She was being annoying!"

Annette clucked her tongue in disappointment. "I can't believe how dense you can be! You're going to _lose_ her. And for real one day."

"We're done," Hyde reaffirmed but he was now giving the detective his full attention.

"Then why are you still lingering in her life? From what I can tell, you sought her out. Not the other way around?"

Hyde leaned forward, balancing his arms on his knees. "What do you care?"

"Because I like Jackie and you have your redeeming qualities. But one of these days, she's going to discover someone else."

"What like Carlos?" Hyde scorned. "The lawyer gardener? She'll be bored and poor. Neither are things Jackie's in to."

Annette bit her lip. "Small confession on that front. Carlos works for us. So does Eleanor for that matter."

"What?" Hyde spluttered.

"Did you really think you'd get staff? We wanted to create some sense of normality and let me and Clyde be the face of the bureau."

"But he likes Zeppelin?" Hyde protested, "How can he a man with respectable taste in music lower himself to become a cop?"

"I know! Inconceivable," Annette said dryly. "Excellent taste in music aside, he is one of our youngest agents ever. And he's a little bit interested in her."

That was enough to make Hyde seal his mouth with a snap. He'd noted Carlos observe Jackie but with her flagrant attention grabbing, he hadn't given it much more thought.

"But surely you have rules about that kind of stuff?" Hyde asked, hearing his voice raise and hating it. "You can't just go around dating people you are supposed to be protecting!"

"That's true. We do have rules," Annette conceded but Hyde's relief was to be short lived. "But once it's done, I get the sense he intends to ask her out."

"Tell him from me it's not worth the trouble," Hyde retorted, withdrawing into himself. He wouldn't even pick himself over Carlos. His chest was aching and he did the only thing he could think of which was to make Jackie the target of his anger. He didn't need her present to do that.

"She's beautiful, clever and driven. He recognises this in her."

"Then you can play match maker with the happy couple," Hyde said.

"You recognised it in her first. You still do when you're not pitching a fit. You have until the trial to remind yourself that's worth fighting for."

"And if I don't?" Hyde asked. It was a surprisingly earnest question.

"Then you have a whole life ahead of you learning what real regret is," she said, not unkindly. Annette pushed herself to her feet.

"Here." She tossed the file into his lap. "Read this if you still need some convincing."

Hyde tentatively lifted it up. He had assumed it was his dossier but he noticed it was lighter. "What's this?"

"Jackie's assessment."


	9. Chapter 9

Hyde hadn't seen much of Jackie this past week, she'd been a whirlwind of activity and movement. She would often come dancing into the kitchen, grab a piece of toast and then disappear back out the door. Hyde barely got a chance to say hello before she was gone. One time he practically choked on a mouthful of hot coffee trying to get words out but he wasn't fast enough.

He watched her retreating back in absolute confusion. Annette's words were weighing on him. The file she had handed him was tucked securely under his mattress. He hadn't read it yet. He was too uncertain of what he'd find.

It was either going to be exactly what he expected; a detailed examination of the ways in which he ruined Jackie's life, which honestly he didn't have the stomach to read. Or, it was going to be something else and while he didn't know what that might be but he knew he wasn't ready for it yet.

Hyde knew Jackie was helping plan some kind of ball. Hyde anticipated that he was going by default but Jackie hadn't raised it with him yet. That in of itself was suspicious. He hoped it had nothing to do with the cosy conversations he'd seen Carlos and Jackie have in their backyard, which Hyde couldn't understand because it was all in damn Spanish.

For a fake gardener, Carlos spent a lot of the time weeding the garden. Shirtless.

As if just thinking about the petite brunette had summoned her, she appeared in the lounge room. There were shadows under her eyes and a tired slouch to her gait but her smile was genuine. Jackie was happy. Luckily she barely registered his presence so he was able to take a few beats just to take her in. Hyde's eyes raked over her, drinking in her image.

"Feel like I haven't seen you in days," Hyde noted. He deliberately kept his voice flat.

Jackie cocked her head with a grin. "They've certainly had me running around enough!"

"But you're having fun." It was a statement rather than a question.

Jackie tugged on the end of her ponytail thoughtfully. "I am," she confessed. "It's nice doing something again. Something important."

"A dance is important."

"You know what, Hyde? Yes it is," Jackie informed him primly, spinning on her heel to leave.

"You need a date for this thing?" it tumbled out of his mouth, completely unbidden.

The question stopped Jackie in her tracks, shocked as if he'd asked her whether she'd considering shaving off all her hair. Her mouth dropped open and blood rushed into Hyde's cheeks as her silence dragged on.

Jackie was saved from answering by the abrupt arrival of Carlos. Hyde was torn between kissing him and punching him in the jaw. He sunk lower in his seat, trying to become invisible.

"Jackie," Carlos exclaimed in happy surprise. So Hyde wasn't the only one who had missed her in absence. The handsome gardener/FBI agent had worked up a light sweat from all the work he'd been doing in the yard. Not for the first time, Hyde wondered why he hadn't just told Jackie that Carlos was law enforcement. But part of him wanted her to have some sense of normality and not be under the impression every move, every thought, was being monitored. "How has the planning gone?"

"So well," Jackie enthused, popping up onto her toes like she did when she was excited. You could take the girl out of the cheerleading squad…

Hyde swallowed thickly, observing the way her eyes lit up when she spoke. At least they were speaking English, which was probably for his benefit.

"Let me know if you need any help," Carlos offered gallantly. "I'm not opposed to moving furniture around," he joked.

"Dude," Hyde berated under his breath.

"I think we have that all sorted but it would be great if you could come," Jackie suggested. "I wouldn't say no to another handsome man in the crowd."

Carlos grinned broadly and Hyde's insides wilted. Carlos shot him a look, as if just remembering Hyde was there. Maybe he felt guilty for flirting with Hyde's fake wife because his cheeks flushed and his shoulders stiffened.

"I have to go now. I'll see you both tomorrow."

Jackie sang out her farewell while Hyde merely raised an eyebrow. Technically Carlos _knew_ that he and Jackie were just playing house so he wasn't doing anything wrong. What he didn't know was the way a sense of propriety blossomed inside Hyde's chest whenever they flirted.

The silence returned with Carlos' absence.

"The ball is black tie," Jackie began, startling Hyde. "If you're not dressed appropriately on the night, I'll find myself a new date." She pointed a threatening finger at him to illustrate her point.

Hyde nodded mutely, mind trying to process that unforeseen turn of events.

"Nancy asked me to come for dinner tonight. It would be nice if you came too."

She couldn't have incapacitated him any better if she'd shot him with a double barrel shotgun. The ball could have been explained by having to maintain the pretext of their marriage but she hadn't needed to extend the invite to him for dinner.

"I reckon I could fit it in to my busy social calendar," he said dryly, grimacing immediately afterwards. He was supposed to be making more of an effort. At least he thought he was. He was still on the fence about Annette's advice.

Jackie shook her head. "Typical." There was no heat in her words, just a downcast assessment.

"I'll go," he amended, hating the disappointment etched into her features.

"Great. Six o'clock, try and be pleasant."

…

"You're a godsend, Melissa," Nancy was saying for the seventh time that evening.

"Stop," Jackie protested, secretly enjoying the flattery. She had hit the ground running, by no means an expert at planning a fancy soiree, but that hadn't stopped her from bringing her A-game.

Nancy ignored her, placing an affectionate hand on Hank's shoulder. "She got Jenny to buy a dress that she liked. _That she liked!_ "

"I know it must be a relief to know you're not going to have to wrestle our teenage daughter into an outfit she would have hated," Hank teased his wife. "She bites," he added with a conspiratorial wink towards Hyde.

Hyde chuckled into his beer while Nancy rolled her eyes in faux-annoyance. "I would never have forced her to wear something she didn't want to wear. But I'm pleased all the same she won't be wearing jeans. And that's all thanks to Melissa."

Jackie gave a little half shrug. "I know how to find a good dress," she acknowledged. "Speaking of teenagers, I still haven't met your son."

Nancy turned her palms upwards. "He's around. David's just at the age where hanging out with your parents is very uncool."

"Does it ever become cool?" Hyde queried.

"God no," Hank replied. "They just lose the will to actively avoid us."

"Psychological warfare? I like it." Hyde saluted the man with his drink. Jackie thought they both might be a little toasted at this point. They'd discussed music for a solid hour before the food even arrived on the table. Hank had ben lamenting the lack of publicity for one of their new acts. Hyde had suggested the band perform at some record stores around the country free of charge to enhance their profile.

Jackie had surveyed Hyde completely unbeknownst to him. She had forgotten what he was like when he was genuinely passionate and excited about something. She could literally see the walls fall away around him. He had hooked the sunglasses onto his shirt and his voice was animated as they discussed legitimate marketing strategy. She didn't overhear him use a single sarcastic sentence. That in of itself was a rarity.

It transfixed her. That was the man she had fallen in love with. It was the dichotomy of Hyde that had worked its way into her heart – all of his sharp edges and barbed words balanced by a sweetness that had given Jackie a home and a person to depend on. She had loved each side of him, both born out of a history that was just as much a part of him as his curly hair or intense blue eyes.

Hyde was so satisfied when Hank took his suggestion seriously, nodding thoughtfully and saying he knew some record store owners he could talk to. It made Jackie's heart swell with pride.

"We're cool," Nancy protested with a laugh, dragging Jackie back into the present. "They just don't know it yet."

"Very cool," Jackie agreed with a grin. She was being earnest; Hank and Nancy were two of the best people she knew and they'd only been in her life for a few weeks. The fact they didn't know her real identity twisted Jackie's stomach into knots. She fervently wished she could confess who she was to Nancy but it was impossible.

"So Melissa, now that your exceptional planning skills have been revealed, I can't believe you're not running a business. Or president," Hank observed, reaching over to fill Jackie's not yet empty wine glass.

Jackie's fingers toyed with the stem of the glass, distinctly aware all eyes were on her. Colour spilling into her cheeks, she mumbled into the table, "well I did think about studying event planning or business in college at one point."

She'd never revealed this desire out loud, not even to Donna.

"Since when?" Hyde demanded, eyebrows lifted as he looked at her in shock.

Jackie shifted uncomfortably in her seat dreading the inevitable barrage of insults. There was a reason Hyde had never known. She had only barely been clinging onto the last of her self-worth and if Hyde had known the truth he would have no doubt found a way to undermine it and erode her last dream.

She met his surprised eyes stubbornly. "Since the end of high school."

"That's great!" Nancy enthused. "Did you have a business in mind?"

"Not really," Jackie admitted. "I knew I had a skill for organising and getting my way so getting a business degree seemed a practical start."

"You should start a personal shopping company!" Nancy exclaimed. "You have great taste and you'd be honest with your clients."

The thought had already crossed Jackie's mind while she had sought out the perfect dress for Dorothy and helped Jenny locate something she loved and suited her beautifully.

Hyde was still staring like she'd grown a second head and her skin was starting to tingle with the weight of his gaze.

"You never told me," he noted evenly.

"I didn't want you to make fun of me for it."

Hyde considered her words. "You thought I would have?"

Jackie didn't particularly want to have this conversation in front of Hank or Nancy. It was too close to the truth, too close to who they really were.

"I know you would have," Jackie replied, trying to emulate his nonchalant tone.

"Wow. I am the worst husband ever!"

That declaration was unanticipated but it broke some of the tension causing Hank and Nancy to laugh. Jackie even managed a rueful smile at Hyde's brutal assessment.

"Since you said it first," Nancy teased lightly.

If Jackie hadn't expected Hyde's self-deprecation than she was certainly unprepared for him to reach across and cover her hand with his. "You would be great at college," he informed her sincerely.

His fingers were warm and familiar, tightening comfortably around her hand. Like nothing had changed over the last year, his touch made Jackie feel like she was home.

…

Hyde had drunk too much. Not enough to consider himself intoxicated but enough to make him reckless. Impulsively he had taken Jackie's hand at the dinner table and he hadn't relinquished it for the rest of the evening. Jackie's wide eyes and tense shoulder telegraphed her confusion but she didn't pull away from him either. Perhaps she thought he was simply playing the contrite spouse but he knew his motivations were not nearly so simple. He was taking advantage of the pretence. While Nancy and Hank believed they were married, Hyde didn't have to justify his actions to Jackie or to himself for that matter.

He still had possession of her, fingers tangled loosely with hers, when they left the house.

After leaving, they slowly wound their way the short distance back. Neither appeared to be in a rush to get back to the mansion that served as home.

They had paused outside the front door.

"I don't think they can see us anymore," Jackie said quietly.

"So?"

"So..." Jackie flicked her eyes downwards at the joined hands.

"Oh."

Hyde released her and took a step back, creating a safe space between them. He cleared his throat, trying not to see the questioning way Jackie was staring up at him. He had no answers to give her yet.

Instead he reached past her and opened the door, gesturing her through. When it closed behind them, his excuse to touch her without explanation was left outside in the cold.

Jackie rubbed her palms together, hovering with indecision in the entry hall. "I'm going to watch some TV," she declared too loudly. "I'm not tired yet."

Hyde knew this was a lie. She'd been running herself raggedly lately and there was a weary stoop to her shoulders. Instead of calling her on her bemusing falsehood, he followed her into the living room where she sank into one of the armchairs, curling up into a small ball.

Hyde took the couch, switching on the TV with the remote. He couldn't pay any attention to the program playing, his mind was focused completely on Jackie as she sat wordlessly across the room.

"Why didn't you go to college?" Hyde asked her when the stillness had dragged on too long.

Jackie didn't tear her gaze away from the screen at which she was staring unblinking. "I had no money to go to college."

Hyde shook his head, not buying it. "You could have gotten a loan. Hell, I'm pretty sure Bob or Red would have helped."

Jackie finally faced him, annoyance plain on her face. "I was scared, alright! Is that what you wanted to hear?"

Hyde didn't know the right way to respond. Because the version of him that existed in Point Place _would_ have wanted to hear that she was too afraid to take a chance on herself.

It would have matched the fear he had harboured about himself.

Here though? "If you need money, I have a little put aside. It's not much but it might help."

Jackie snorted in astonishment. "I'm not taking your money, Hyde!"

Having his offer to help thrown back at him so immediately was a dig at his ego. "Not so long ago, you couldn't wait to get your hands on my money."

Jackie rolled her eyes at his retort. "This is why I don't want your help, Hyde. You couldn't just offer it, no strings attached. You'd find a way to hold it over my head somehow!"

"You think that little of me?" The question was small. Pathetic even. After everything he still gave a shit what Jackie Burkhart thought of him.

"I think you think that little of _me_. I think you even hate me a little." She couldn't look at him after saying that. The words tore right through him like blades in paper. How did two people who cared so much about each other do so much damage?

"Hate you?" he repeated gruffly.

Jackie tucked her chin in against her right shoulder, shielding herself physically from him. Hyde caught an almost imperceptible nod. "You laughed at me when I was in real trouble. You called me _a bitch_ when once you'd punch anyone else for saying it."

Hyde leaned forward, latching his fingers together, elbows on his knees. He itched to put his glasses on, feeling their absence now like a missing limb. Not that it mattered much when Jackie's eyes were locked firmly on the far wall.

"Ok," he admitted. "I did hate you a bit back then."

"Why?"

"Lots of reasons. If it makes you feel any better, I don't hate you now. It's like a low level dislike at worst." It was a weak joke but it saved him from having to confess anything more. Like telling her that as much as he hated her then, it wasn't nearly as much as he'd despised himself.

Jackie managed a small smile in return for his stupid gag but the hurt continued to radiate off of her.

"Why did you stay with her?"

It appeared the difficult part of the night wasn't over. "I don't really understand the reasoning myself so not sure you would."

"Try me." That was more like it – imperious commands from Jackie were familiar.

"It wasn't about her. It was about me. Seemed like the whole world was about to explode so I just decided to light the fuse."

Saying it out loud confirmed what anyone had ever said about his self-destructive tendencies.

Easier to survive in the rubble than hold onto a pipe dream; at least he'd thought so. He hadn't counted on the persistent and painful ache in his chest as love decayed into loathing. The hole in his life where Jackie had been was like a wound that didn't heal. He could scratch at it, relieve it, by keeping her in his life and tormenting her but it never mended completely. Cowardice saw to that.

Jackie was finally looking at him. Her gaze was steady though she pulled nervously at her fingernails. "That's stupid."

The understatement tore a laugh from his chest. He couldn't argue with her assessment. Suddenly he couldn't stand to be in the same room as her. The temptation to stride across the room and pull her into his arms was too great. He didn't deserve that, he'd proved as much with his words.

He struggled to his feet. "I'd give you the money, if you needed it." He didn't let her answer before all but fleeing to his bedroom. He slid to the floor, back against the bed stand.

Hyde just wanted to go to sleep and forget this whole god damn night but his nerves wouldn't settle. He was still pulsating with energy. After hours of being dogged by wakefulness, he eventually decided that he needed one more beer. One more would take the edge off and surely Jackie had retreated to her own room by now.

As he carefully made his way to the kitchen, he could still hear the sounds of the TV travelling through the house. He was starting to feel cagey again. Locked in a house, faced with his greatest mistake was beginning to take a toll.

He breathed a sigh of relief when a quick glimpse revealed Jackie had fallen asleep where she was sitting. Hyde folded his arms and debated whether to wake her up so she could go to bed but she was resting peacefully and he couldn't bring himself to. Instead he found a blanket and tucked it softly around her and turned the volume down on the TV.

As he took in her slumbering form, he could categorically state that he did not hate Jackie Burkhart.

 **AN:** **so we finally have honesty and a bit of air clearing, which I know some of you felt was overdue.**

 **Please review and let me know what you thought.**


	10. Chapter 10

After covering Jackie with the blanket, being careful not to rouse her, Hyde didn't feel much like going back to bed himself. The TV flickered mildly across the room and the low mumble of voices that emanated from the speakers created a cosy atmosphere.

Hyde let his gaze wander below the TV to the elegant wooden stand it was placed on. In one of the drawers was where he'd hastily stuffed Jackie's file. He still hadn't read it. Every time Hyde attempted to, he was either plagued by guilt or interrupted.

The last time, he'd had it in his hands just about ready to give in to curiosity, when Hank had come barging in without invitation. Hank was a less frequent visitor to the mansion than his wife but at least Nancy knocked. The older man had asked if he wanted to go play golf. Hyde wasn't sure what had made Hank think he would have any interest in the stuffy sport which made its players dress up like tools but something had.

It was one of the times Jackie had been out all day so in a bout of frustration and boredom, Hyde had agreed. He had quickly realised golf with Hank more or less translated to drinking while walking. That was the kind of thing Hyde could support.

So he'd hidden the file away and tried to put it from his mind. But as Jackie's delicate breathing whistled softly to the side of him, the temptation was too great.

Moving stealthily so as not to disturb Jackie, he collected the small pile of documents. Heart thudding in anticipation, he settled himself back in the chair and began reading.

The format closely resembled his own character assessments from friends and family, all largely positive, and Hyde couldn't quite figure out what Annette wanted him to find in there. The first unusual part was the reference to Pam Burkhart.

 _Unavailable for comment_.

Hyde wrinkled his nose. They'd not been able to contact Pam, so what? There was no reference to Edna anywhere in his file and he'd sincerely doubted they'd managed to track her down. They both had shitty mothers, nothing surprising there.

One of the first thing they'd realised they both had in common.

The next section was her father, who was still in jail. They'd managed to talk to him, though Hyde couldn't imagine the pretext they'd used to explain why they wanted this information about his daughter.

Jack Burkhart had rattled off some basic details about his daughter; age, allergies, middle name. The first spark of anger stirred in Hyde's chest. Most of this was wrong. She was born in 1961, not 1962. And her middle name certainly wasn't Beryl.

 _My angel likes pretty things and cheerleading but she isn't much of an academic. I don't think much of the boy she's dating, that Mitchell Kelso - he's too stupid, even for her. I think she likes ABBA and occasionally she talked about clowns so I think she likes them too._

Every word dictated by Jack rankled because it further reaffirmed what Hyde had always know. Jackie was a complete stranger to her father and he'd never even cared enough to know what was going on in his daughter's life. The thinly veiled condescension he felt for his own daughter made Hyde's fists clench. While it was satisfying to see Kelso get dismissed, Hyde knew Jackie had told her father about seeing him but he'd clearly paid no attention. Tilting his head, Hyde supposed it was preferable to be forgettable rather than deemed an idiot.

Hyde just hoped Jackie never had to see what was written there. She didn't have any illusions about her father but this was unnecessarily cruel. Was this what Annette was getting at? Reminding Hyde how little their parents had expected of either one of them and trying to get them to bond again?

It seemed uninspired, even from a cop. So Hyde kept reading.

Just like his assessment, hers concluded in the hasty scribble of Agent Godfrey.

 _Ms Jackie Burkhart's motivations are the more transparent of the pair. While family, friends, and now law enforcement, can testify to the fact that Ms Burkhart and Mr Hyde have a chiefly antagonistic relationship, we believe categorically that the primary reason she agreed to be placed in witness protection was to protect Mr Hyde. As of yet it's unconfirmed whether she feels she owes him for saving her life or whether she maintains an attachment to him. Contrary to my colleagues, I assess it is unlikely that Ms Burkhart is as fragile or delicate as she seems. If anything, she appears rather stubborn._

Hyde read the small blurb over and over trying to see the deeper meaning in the words. Was Annette right? Was Jackie only here to keep him safe? He snuck a glimpse at Jackie who was still sleeping peacefully. She looked so tiny but he had no doubt that she would defend tooth and nail the people she cared about.

W.B had confessed she'd almost scared the pants off him with the dressing down she given him after he accused Hyde of being after his money.

And somehow, after everything he'd put her through, he was still on the list of people she wanted to guard.

Hyde's fingers tightened around the paper as his free hand moved independent of thought to pluck his sunglasses off the front of his shirt and slide them up over the bridge of his nose. He indulged in a long exhale and was preparing to walk the file back down into the basement (maybe tomorrow he'd set it on fire) when Jackie spoke.

"No. Don't!"

The unexpected noise made Hyde jump and he guiltily thought she had woken up and caught him red handed snooping through her personal business.

Her eyes were still securely shut but her eyebrows were furrowed, her lips squeezed tight.

"Don't," she pled again and Hyde realised she was talking in her sleep. The blanket had slipped off her shoulder and twisted in her hands. The muscles of her forearm were taut. Her voice was emotional and vulnerable.

Hyde watched on awkwardly, unsure whether or not he should wake her. She was always so tired these days but she was clearly having a nightmare.

"Please don't hurt him." Her voice was rising as she fidgeted in the chair.

Hyde made up his mind and tucked her file into the cushions of the couch so she wouldn't see it.

"Steven!" Jackie's gasp sent a chill down his spine.

"Jackie, wake up!" Hyde called. He didn't know what exactly had happened to him in the dream but he could make an educated guess based on the file.

Jackie jerked into waking, bleary eyes wide with alarm as she cast them from side to side. They settled on him and Hyde could see some of the fear leave them.

"What happened?"

Hyde hesitated. "Nothing. It just got late and figured you'd want to get to bed."

The anxiety began to seep back into her eyes.

"Or at least come sleep on this couch. You're going to put your back out if you stay on the armchair. And I don't want to be married to a hunchback."

Jackie slanted her head at him witheringly but she glanced off into the dark of the house and then back at him.

"Don't you want to go to sleep?" she asked quietly.

"Nah, I'm still watching-" what was even on the TV? "-this." He gestured lamely at the screen.

But it seemed to pacify Jackie, who got up, blanket and all, and shuffled across to the couch he was sitting on. With a groan, she lowered herself down and stretched out. Her toes just lightly brushed the side of his thigh. Hyde kept his attention glued to the TV.

"Was I talking in my sleep?" she murmured drowsily.

"C'mon, Jackie. You know I don't listen to you talk." His glib lie earned him another weak glare but he didn't want to tell her the truth.

Her eyelids fluttered closed as she relaxed further into the couch. Hyde sighed and slouched lower to get more comfortable. Seemed like he would be spending the night where he was.

…

Jackie was sprawled on her back in the kitchen, reluctant to move when Annette slowly dragged herself into the room.

"What temperature is this?" Jackie groaned from the relative cool of the tiles.

"Haven't you heard?" Annette mumbled. "We're in hell. This is hell."

They were the second day into a heat wave that was showing no signs of abating. Luckily the ball in five days' time was more or less organised and she didn't have to venture out into the heat to help Nancy finalise the font on the menus or for some other errand. Not that Jackie believed there was any paper left in California – surely it had all burst into flames by now.

"How do people live here all year round?" Jackie asked incredulously.

"They're crazy, Jackie," Annette stated, leaning against the bench. Her hair was scraped up into a messy bun with damp strands curling around the nape of her neck. Jackie's own long tresses had been woven into a braid to keep it out of the way.

She'd practically been up since dawn this morning. Nightmares had woken her up like clockwork, leaving her paralysed in fear. The night she'd spent on the couch had afforded her the best night sleep she'd had since she'd seen the murder even if it had left her with a stiff neck and achy shoulder.

She also woken up next to Hyde, whose head had fallen forward onto his chest while he slept beside her. His hand rested lightly on her ankles. She hadn't had any bad dreams.

Jackie had quietly untangled herself from the blanket and his touch, suddenly wide awake. With gentle fingers, she had deftly removed his sunglasses and set them on the table in front of him.

Hyde had kept the nightmares away with just his presence.

After the emotional outpouring that had been exchanged when they'd returned from dinner with the Myers, Jackie was still raw and sensitive. A lot of their lingering issues had been dragged out into the light in all their ugly glory. And because of that Jackie wasn't ready to rationalise that, even after all that, he was the one person who made her feel safe.

"Do you want something?" Annette asked, going to the fridge.

"Ice."

"And?"

"Just ice," Jackie requested. It was a testimony to how hot it was that Annette didn't question this as strange. Just handed Jackie a small handful of cubes before grabbing herself a soda.

Jackie popped one straight into her mouth and then held the rest against her flushed skin. The coolness against her neck induced an audible moan. It began to melt on contact but Jackie couldn't bring herself to care. She ran the blessedly cool ice against her collarbone, enjoying the way her fingers were numb from the cold.

Someone cleared their throat from the doorway. Jackie rolled her eyes back and was greeted with the vision of an upside down Hyde. He arched an articulate eyebrow at her prone position and what Jackie realised was her dripping cleavage.

It would have been sexy if she hadn't wrinkled her nose and poked out her tongue, too tired to do much else. Her response provoked a crooked grin from Hyde who had forsaken his jeans and was wearing shorts. Something he almost never did. Jackie wanted to make fun of him but she just didn't have the energy.

"So this is where everyone came to die?"

Jackie nodded wordlessly on the ground.

"I wish," Annette complained, "I have a meeting in an hour."

"People have meetings in weather like this?" Jackie lifted her head up to regard the agent with sympathy.

"People with jobs do," the older woman retorted and gulped the rest of her soda down.

"You need a better job," Hyde called after her as Annette left the kitchen.

"Thank god we're rich right?" Jackie quipped.

"Thank god," he reiterated. "What are you planning on doing?"

"Apart from lying here all day?"

"Apart from that. I'm bored and I noticed they have a chess set."

Jackie propped herself up on her elbows to stare at Hyde quizzically. He was asking her to spend time with him. If she needed further proof that the world had slipped into hell, that was it. "You want to hang out with me?"

"Sure," he offered with a half shrug.

"You hate hanging out with me," Jackie pressed suspiciously.

"It wouldn't be the worst thing to happen to me this month," Hyde informed her.

"You _were_ shot at."

"And hanging out with you is slightly less worse than being shot at," Hyde countered. "Come on, let's play." He reached a hand down to help Jackie up.

After a beat, Jackie swung her hand up to grab his. She let him pull her to her feet smoothly.

"You're going to lose," Jackie confidently promised. She was ignoring the heat of his palm against hers and the uneven beat of her pulse.

"We'll see."

…

Hyde had to give Jackie credit where credit was due. She wasn't one for idle threats. She'd won the first two games.

The first game, she'd triumphed fair and square. Jackie had an ability to be cunning and strategic when she wanted to. It had made her a great chess opponent, after he'd taught her the rules of the game. It had started out as something to pass the time, when he'd first realised he enjoyed her company even when they weren't making out but hadn't yet been ready to admit that he liked her. Jackie had shown a knack for it, picking up the concept quickly.

He hadn't even been annoyed the first time she'd beat him either. Her eyes had lit up with delight and she'd flung her arms around his neck with a squeal. Hyde had chuckled, and returned the embrace, a pleasant sensation spreading through his chest.

The second game? Well he hadn't been in peak playing form in the second game. Jackie had decided to tie her shirt up around her midriff. He'd found it a little hard to concentrate on strategy after that.

If it wasn't so freaking hot outside, Hyde would have accused her of running a play on him. It wouldn't have been entirely out of character for her. But she'd barely spared a glance at him when she'd lifted her shirt. Her gaze was focused on the board and her bottom lip caught between her teeth in concentration.

Hyde had forced himself to pay attention the third game. His pride wouldn't let him lose three times in a row. Besides if Jackie won again, she'd find it suspicious. If there was one thing she hated, it was when someone went easy on her because they thought she was incapable. And he'd rather not have to explain that, no, he wasn't going easy on her but instead had been mentally consumed by the smooth, taunt skin of her stomach. He'd lost perving privileges a long time ago.

When he finally claimed victory, Jackie rewarded him with a crooked grin.

"About time. I was worried you weren't going to give me any real competition at all!"

Hyde arched an eyebrow. "Wow, you win twice and you get cocky?"

"It's not being cocky when you're awesome," Jackie bragged, spreading her hands with false modesty.

Hyde chuckled in response. "Oh you think you're that awesome huh?"

Jackie pretended to wince in embarrassment. "I don't know if you noticed but Hyde: one, Jackie: two."

 _Two_ , she mouthed and waved her fingers in the air to emphasise her point.

"Is that _smack talk_?"

Jackie leaned back with a smirk. "I was a cheerleader for years, my smack talk is A-plus!"

Hyde rubbed his hand against his chin and considered his adversary. She met his stare confidently, smile still tugging at her lips. Maybe it was the heat but words spilled out of his mouth without much thought.

"What do you say we make this interesting then?"

Jackie's eyes narrowed but there was a spark of curiosity. "Interesting how? I'm _not_ playing strip chess."

"What? No. That would be too simple. How much are you even wearing? You'd be naked in five minutes."

"Or you would be," Jackie countered snidely.

"It's irrelevant who would be naked first, I mean, it would be you but that's not important."

"Really?" Jackie asked with innocent eyes and a not so innocent head tilt. Her fingers pulled at her shirt, making him lose his train of thought for a second. This time it was deliberate but damn she was clever.

"The stooges who lived here before have a pretty impressive wine collection," Hyde said, finding his voice.

"That _is_ interesting. What exactly are you proposing?"

"A drink for every piece captured," he suggested with a lazy shrug.

Hyde could literally see the thoughts flickering across Jackie's face but clearly the temperature was affecting her too.

"Let's do this," she declared recklessly.

"You're going down, Burkhart," Hyde informed her, pushing himself to his feet.

Jackie scoffed in response. "You first."

The banter made him grin. He had missed this brazen Jackie – she sparkled when she talked like that.

"You're going to be putting that money where your mouth is," Hyde called over his shoulder.

"I'll get glasses," she sung back.

Hyde made his way down into the basement and towards the wine cellar. He paused with his hand on the door. Was he about to make a really stupid series of decisions? Probably but then he thought of the way Jackie's eyes had glimmered at him just before and he really wanted more of that.

Pushing all logic by the wayside, Hyde grabbed two bottles of wine and then on an afterthought reached for a third. Stupid decisions indeed.

Jackie's eyes widened marginally when she saw his haul but otherwise she kept her face in a carefully schooled mask of nonchalance. Hyde noticed her small reaction all the same.

"Don't tell me you're scared," he taunted.

Jackie tugged thoughtfully on the end of her braid. "Honestly, I'm worried about what will happen to you after you drink all three bottles."

"Dream on, Burkhart," he groaned, her broad grin instantly validating his decision to be a little irresponsible.

…

Jackie was half a bottle in and she could feel it. The warmth of the liquor was spreading through her blood but it hadn't dulled her senses. Much, anyway. Her skin was already flushed but the pervasive heat didn't seem to bother her.

Her complete concentration was consumed by the game. Jackie was out of practice. She'd played a couple of games after she and Hyde had ended but no one had ever presented any real competition and once Fez had cried when he lost, it pretty much took the enjoyment out of the victory.

But now she was facing off against Hyde she was actually being challenged again. And god, had she missed it.

She'd won the first game narrowly, but he captured enough pieces of hers to ensure that Jackie had made a solid start on that wine. All the same, she scored that king.

Hyde had scowled and swigged straight from the bottle, prompting Jackie to pump her fist in the air jubilantly.

"I prefer beer," he'd informed her, almost primly.

"That wine's expensive," Jackie had told him, pointing her finger at his chest. "You show some respect!"

"Expensive doesn't mean good," Hyde retorted, lightly batting her hand away.

Jackie gasped in faux-outrage. "You can't talk like that now you have a rich daddy."

Hyde rolled his eyes and set up the pieces on the board. "Do you see me wearing silk shirts?"

"No," Jackie shuddered, "thank god!"

And with that they lapsed into a comfortable silence while they commenced the game. For a few minutes the pieces were shuffled with no real consequences but then Hyde captured one of Jackie's pawns.

"Drink up, rich girl."

With what she hoped was a withering glare, Jackie picked up the glass that was slid towards her. The lighting outside was changing from sharp white to a soft yellow. They'd already been playing for hours judging from the way the light was changing. Funny, it hadn't felt that long.

Jackie took a mouthful and took a moment to appreciate the wine. She hadn't drunk anything this expensive since she'd raided her parents supply. With her friends there seemed to be a prevalence for cheap beer over anything else. Of course when you were half baked, you didn't notice the quality of the beverage as much.

Jackie wasn't drunk yet but if this kept up, she would be. In the back of her mind, she wondered whether they shouldn't call it quits. If they had been in Wisconsin drinking, Jackie would have worried about murdering Hyde in an uncontrolled state. Now she was worried about something entirely different.

As she swallowed the tentative sip, she resolved herself to telling him this was the last round. Maybe afterwards she'd escape to Nancy's under the pretext of organising the ball and get some much needed space to think. But as Jackie went to speak, Hyde beat her to it.

"That was barely a mouthful," he scolded. "I'm watching you, Burkhart." And as he admonished her, Hyde tugged off his glasses and carelessly hooked them on the front of his shirt.

His piercing blue eyes were no longer caged behind the shades and Jackie caught the full effect when they were turned on her.

With a coy half-shrug, Jackie tipped back the glass, consuming half of the wine it held. Her previous reservations scattered like the wind.

She'd missed his eyes.

…

They'd reached a stalemate. Hyde could feel his nerves buzzing from the combination of liquor and the competition. A not insignificant number of chess pieces were pushed to the side, along with Jackie's glass. She'd taken to drinking from the bottle, just like Hyde was.

There was just something about her casually swigging wine with her eyes sparkling. He was transfixed by the strands of hair that escaped her braid and stuck to her neck.

Tearing his eyes off her, Hyde ran a hand through his curls. This heat was getting to him.

Jackie exhaled noisily. "I think we're stuck," she decided, stretching her legs out in front of her.

Trying not to track her movements, Hyde nodded.

"So I won then!"

Hyde narrowed his eyes in her direction. "Won? As if."

"I won the first game!" Jackie protested, raising the bottle to her lips unevenly. She spilt some of the contents and Hyde watched it wind down her throat to settle near her collar bone.

Swallowing harshly he shook his head. "And I won the second game. That's one each." He waved his index finger in the air for emphasis. Jackie batted it away with a mischievous glare.

"You got lucky, Steven," she informed him.

His name tumbled out of her mouth without hesitation. It froze him in his seat, waiting for her to realise her error. The last time she'd used his name, he'd ended up with a ring flung at him from across the kitchen. He'd pretended not to hear it and at that time he'd been so caught up in his anger that the significance hadn't really dawned on him until she'd left the room in a flurry of words and barbs.

But that was the reason he'd cooked that stupid gratin for her.

And now Jackie had used it twice and Hyde was realising how much he'd missed hearing it.

Jackie fanned herself and glanced around. "It is too freaking hot."

Hyde wordlessly agreed with her, taking another large mouthful of wine in an attempt to quiet his racing thoughts.

Jackie's gaze returned to him. "Let's go swimming!"

"Swimming?" He sounded like a moron but his brain couldn't catch up.

Jackie shook her head. "We're rich, remember? Rich people have pools."

"Are you in any state to go swimming?" he asked, trying to make his voice dismissive.

Jackie fluttered her hands, waving away his question. She got to her feet smoother than he would have expected. "I guess if I drown, you'll have to save me."

Turning her back on him Jackie left the room. Just before she rounded the corner and disappeared, her petite hands tugged her shirt up, lifting it over her head. Hyde caught a glimpse of her lower back but then she was gone.

Hyde sat motionless for a beat. "This is bad," he said out loud to the empty room. Annette wasn't back from her meeting to stop whatever was happening. He knew he should stay inside, maybe fix some coffee or food but his body had ideas of its own.

He followed the trail of discarded clothes and emerged out into the backyard near the pool. She was floating in the water, watching him closely. He was relieved to see Jackie had kept her underwear on. He was barely holding on to his self-control as it was, he didn't need her to be entirely naked.

"You getting in?" Her drawl had all but vanished. The water had sobered her up clearly.

"And mess up my hair?" he joked, stalling.

"Chicken," she threw back daringly.

"Watch your mouth, Burkhart."

"Can't blame me for speaking the truth."

Hyde knew she was playing him but he couldn't help falling for it. "I'm going to drown you myself in a second," he threatened, reaching for the hem of his own shirt, pulling it up over his head. His forgotten sunglasses clattered on the pavement.

A grin exploded across Jackie's face as she realised she'd gotten what she wanted. Still she knew it wouldn't be without cost and quickly began swimming away, putting distance between the two of them.

"That's not going to help you," he called right before he jumped into the pool. The cool water enveloped his body and for a few seconds, Hyde hovered weightlessly. He surfaced with a gasp and pushed the hair from his face.

He located Jackie and set out with strong strokes. Her laughter was mixed with shrieks as she swam further away.

She moved first, kicking her legs hard to splash him. Hyde hadn't anticipated that and spluttered when the wave of water cascaded into his face.

He used one hand in an attempt to shield his face, he groped blindly in front of him with the other. His large hand closed around Jackie's foot. He gave it a sharp pull, startling her enough that she dipped under the water. She emerged without skipping a beat. Realising he'd gotten too close, she went to use her speed to escape.

But Jackie had backed herself into a corner and had nothing but the wall of the pool behind her.

Advancing slowly and predatorily, giving her plenty of time to pull herself out of the pool if she really wanted, Hyde closed in on her. Jackie watched his approach with wide eyes but she didn't move.

Without conscious thought, he had Jackie caged by his body, his arms on either side of her.

Hyde didn't exactly have a plan for what he was going to do now he had her there, he was only certain he wanted it this way.

"What did you call me inside?" the question came unbidden, husky in the heavy evening.

Jackie bit her bottom lip, looking up at him through dark lashes. "Hyde?"

"That wasn't it."

Jackie shook her head. She wasn't going to make this easy for him. She never made anything easier.

Taking a step closer so there was only a centimetre separating them, he hovered over her. "Say it," he insisted.

"Steven."

It was barely a whisper but it was all he needed to hear. Hyde eased forward, one hand slipping to her waist, the other sliding up her neck.

Curses and prayers danced through his mind in conjunction as he bent to press his lips to hers.


	11. Chapter 11

Hyde's lips were tentative against hers and Jackie experienced the thrill of the contact travel through her body. It was all at once familiar and like kissing a stranger. The gentle way he was holding her was reminiscent of the very first time they had kissed on the hood of her car. Soft and hesitant, as if Jackie was delicate and to be protected.

Her stomach clenched as a rush of sensations overwhelmed her. Even while knowing this was a complicated thing to do, Jackie wanted to savour it for however long it lasted. She wanted to breathe him in. Her brain finally catching up with what was happening, Jackie lifted onto her toes to return the kiss.

Hyde's mouth became more demanding, encouraging a small groan to escape Jackie. With that almost inaudible noise, the last barriers between them tumbled away and Hyde was pulling her flush against his body. Jackie wound her arms tightly around his neck, while his large hands trailed down her sides before finally resting on her hips.

Her wet skin was slick against his as Hyde drew her closer, his fingers leaving indents with their tight grip. When Jackie's tongue touched his, the already barely there distance between them was reduced to nothing. The wall of the pool was rough behind her but Jackie didn't give it a second thought, wholly consumed by the heat and presence of Hyde.

She was so petite, it would take no effort at all for him to lift her so she could wrap her legs around his waist. Wishing he would do just that, Jackie raked her hands through his wet hair. Hyde was leaning heavily into her, his body weight just about all that was keeping her upright.

"Are you guys out here?"

A loud voice from the house tore them away from each other. Jackie's lips throbbed from the searing kiss as she struggled to complete a full breath. Hyde's pupils were expanded, casting the remaining blue of his eyes into shadows.

His hands were still on her, hers still on him. Jackie could see the reason surface in his features as if he were struggling through a fog. Hyde shook his head to try and get his bearings.

"Annette," he concluded in a raspy voice. Jackie didn't think she could speak just yet. The chaos of her thoughts were reflected on his face.

"Are you two swimming?" Annette's tone took on an element of confusion and Jackie realised that standing still in silence wasn't going to make the FBI agent magically disappear.

Jackie didn't know if she was relieved or forlorn that they'd been interrupted. Judging from the irritation Annette's voice was evoking, it was probably more of the latter. There were still so many unresolved issues between them but at the same time his touch on her had been… electric. They had folded into each other as if they were made to fit, though Jackie knew that wasn't the case.

They had spent many months getting to know the ins and outs of each other's bodies; the height difference, the strength difference – all that hard work and familiarity had paid off. What Jackie had just experienced wasn't the result of chemistry, at least not _only_ chemistry, but all the time and knowledge of their relationship. Somehow that was worse. They had built this synchronicity together and for some reason abandoned it.

With obvious effort, Hyde lifted his hands away from her, stepping backwards as if someone had a gun pointed at him. His confusion and frustration were palpable. Despite the humid evening, Jackie was shivering.

She pulled herself out of the pool at the same time Annette drew level. The agent's eyebrows were drawn together in concern and Jackie realised neither of them had answered her yet.

Hyde was still in the water, his gaze following Jackie and becoming more inscrutable by the second.

"It was hot," Jackie explained with a shrug as she passed Annette. She was relieved when the other woman didn't ask her any more questions. There were no good answers.

"I'm going to go dry off," Jackie informed her quietly and slipped back inside. What she really need was a few seconds alone to get her head straight and possibly a cold shower. Remembering the way Hyde's hands had travelled over her body tightened something low in her body. _Definitely_ needed a cold shower.

…

Hyde watched Jackie disappear into the house and he was left outside with Annette who had turned her curious eyes in Hyde's direction.

With a growing smile and a knowing head tilt she pointed from the house to him. "Did I interrupt something? Were you _kissing_?"

"Nothing happened," Hyde growled, wishing his pulse would settle. He hadn't drawn a complete breath since she'd said his name.

"Right," Annette said, indicating pretty clearly that she didn't believe him. "Just answer me one question. When did you realise I was right about you two? Was it straight away or did it take a while to set in?"

Hyde rolled his eyes at her delighted smugness. "No one's saying you're right about anything."

Annette scoffed. "Sure, the empty wine bottles and your proximity is just coincidence. I'm sure they're completely unrelated."

"It was just a kiss!"

"So you did kiss!"

Hyde ran a hand through his hair in annoyance – he'd just been pretty efficiently tricked into revealing more than he intended.

"I'm an FBI agent, you think I can't get your secrets?"

"Congratulations, you successfully interrogated me," Hyde commented dryly.

Annette offered an unconcerned half-shrug. "So what's the plan?"

Hyde flicked his eyes from side to side. "Get out of the pool?"

"I meant with Jackie," Annette responded witheringly.

Hyde pinched his nose briefly before swimming to the side and leveraging himself out of the water. It would be his luck that he got landed in the protective custody of someone who was invested in his life.

"Nothing! And don't go meddling," Hyde pointed a menacing finger at her.

"But you might ruin it if left to your own devices," Annette whined.

"Thanks," he said flatly. He bent to retrieve his shirt and glasses, sliding the shades onto his face without hesitation.

"Fine," Annette agreed grudgingly, still wearing an aggravating smirk. "Do what you want. You're both adults."

Deciding to end the conversation while he was more or less ahead, he made his way back inside. His head was spinning from the combination of alcohol and the heady affect kissing Jackie had aroused in him.

He'd missed having her in his embrace – she fit perfectly. Hell, he'd missed having her in his life. She shone bright and strong, sparking something deep down in his chest that was more addictive than any illegal substance.

Didn't mean that how he'd behaved was smart. They'd left enough damage in their wake, tearing their lives apart like a tornado. They both had scars now.

Hyde braced his hands on the kitchen bench and tried to rationalise. He never denied the fact that Jackie was beautiful so surely that was it? They'd just been physically drawn to each other. Almost as soon as he thought it, he dismissed it as bullshit. Hyde had plenty of pretty girls in his past but none of them had gotten under his skin the way Jackie had.

What he didn't know was if that kiss had been worth compromising the peace and, for lack of a better word, friendship that had been slowly developing between them. A small traitorous, reckless voice inside him screamed _yes_!

What he really wanted was another drink; something to blur his thoughts and extinguish the fire in his veins. Instead he reluctantly filled a glass with water and went in search of some dry clothes.

…

Jackie wasn't rested at all when she made her way down to breakfast. She never slept well after drinking. The alcohol in her system made it hard to slip into a deep sleep. Not to mention the dreams had her tossing and turning for most of the night. When she wasn't having nightmares about executions, she was dreaming about masculine fingers lacing through her hair and a warm mouth on various parts of her body.

She always woke gasping, either freezing cold or overheating.

Jackie took her time showering and putting on her makeup. Even if she was exhausted, didn't mean she had to let anyone know it.

She couldn't predict how she would feel when she finally came face to face with the owner of the fingers and lips that had so thoroughly disturbed her slumber. But Jackie didn't have to wait long to find out.

Hyde was at the table already eating breakfast when she entered the kitchen. He looked up at her entrance, locking on her immediately. Jackie's cheeks burned and her stomach compressed. Her heart beat sped up with just a look. This was bad.

"Hi," the pair of them said at exactly the same time. To her expert eye, Jackie could tell Hyde was as flustered as her. He wasn't blushing but his fingers tightened around the mug in his hand.

"Sleep well?" Eleanor asked, startling Jackie. She hadn't even registered her presence until she spoke.

Hyde leaned forward as if the answer was of terrible interest to him.

"Fine," Jackie responded evenly. She wasn't hungry at all but she couldn't just stand there doing nothing, so she seated herself and lifted a pancake onto her plate. If they noticed her hand shake, they ignored it.

"Coffee?" Hyde offered.

"That would be really nice," she accepted.

"I'm glad you slept well."

"Did you sleep well?"

"Fine, thank you."

The conversation was stilted and painfully polite. Hyde kept rubbing the back of his neck, shoulders tight. He glanced in Eleanor's direction who was thankfully oblivious to their odd behaviour.

Hyde scooped the perfect amount of sugar into the coffee. "Here you go," he stated with the formality of a business meeting before sliding it across the table in her direction.

When Jackie reached for the beverage her fingers lightly brushed his. It was the briefest of contact but she was hyperaware of him. The touch vibrated along her nerves. Judging from the way he jerked his hand backwards, Hyde experienced it too.

"I'm off to do the grocery shopping," Eleanor announced, causing them both to jump. With her exit, their buffer disappeared and the awkwardness in the room compounded. Jackie tugged at the collar of her shirt while Hyde uncomfortably pushed his glasses further up with his index finger. She didn't know whether to run screaming from the room, pretend like it never happened or scramble across the table so his arms were around her and lips pressed to hers.

Summoning up her courage, Jackie spoke. "We should talk."

Hyde visibly swallowed and tensed his jaw but he didn't lobby scathing insults at her which Jackie took as a good sign. He was prevented from speaking by a loud bang from the front of the house. Hyde was on his feet in an instant and Jackie was only a beat behind him.

Attention focused forward, Hyde tried to push her behind him with his hand. Furrowing her eyebrows, Jackie batted his arm away. That earned her a frustrated glance from Hyde.

"If it's someone dangerous you're on your own," he hissed.

Jackie rolled her eyes. "It's probably just Annette or Carlos."

"Like I said, someone dangerous," Hyde retorted.

Jackie stifled a grin at Hyde's obvious annoyance when Carlos was mentioned.

"Greg? You home?"

They both exhaled in relief when they recognised Hank's booming voice.

"Does he ever knock?" Jackie asked.

Hyde shook his head in resignation. "Not in my experience."

Hyde and Jackie both moved forward until they realised Hank was talking to someone.

"His housekeeper said they were in. I can't wait to introduce you two."

"If he's as intuitive about music as you say then I'm keen to meet him."

Jackie found something about the voice familiar and from the way Hyde was wrinkling his nose he agreed. Following the sounds of Hank talking Jackie edged further into the house. As she got to the lounge room, she peaked around the wall just to be on the safe side. Hyde followed suit using his superior height to loom over the top of her.

Jackie quickly figured out why the voice was recognizable.

W.B. was standing in the Californian mansion.

…

Hyde blinked a few times to make sure he wasn't seeing things. It was possible he was still drunk from last night.

"Dad?" he uttered quietly. Not quietly enough, both men began to turn in the direction of the noise. He and Jackie both scrambled backwards. If W.B. wasn't thinking on his feet then there was a good chance he would blow their cover.

As much as he would have loved to have spoken to his father, Hyde knew the risks.

"Greg, is that you?" Hank was obviously heading in their direction.

The sliding door was too far to make without being seen. Jackie pointed wordlessly at the pantry door.

Hyde pulled it open, ushered Jackie in and shut the door behind them. Only then did he realise just how small a pantry really was. Even in fancy rich houses, they didn't have enough room for two adults to stand comfortably in their own personal space.

With barely an inch separating Jackie and Hyde, if either of them took too deep a breath then they would be touching. Hyde sucked in his chest and stomach as much as he was able and tried not to move.

After last night, her proximity was all consuming. He could smell her perfume and underneath that was the scent of her shampoo. He had the very real urge to run his fingers through her hair, tangling those long, soft strands in his hands. In the dim lighting Hyde could tell Jackie's eyes were darting from one corner to the other; anywhere but directly at him.

"I could have sworn I heard someone," Hank exclaimed. Hyde shook his head and wished the older man was slightly less comfortable with him.

"Maybe they went out," W.B. suggested with a shrug, possibly aware that he was standing in a stranger's kitchen. Then again, W.B. had the self-confidence the very rich developed, possessing the resolute certainty that wherever he was, he was meant to be there.

"I'll check upstairs quickly, then we can go."

"I'll wait here," W.B. offered.

Hyde listened to Hanks footsteps trail out of the kitchen, waited another moment longer then opened the door.

"Dad."

"Steven _?_ "

"Shhh," Jackie cautioned.

" _Jackie?"_ W.B's eyes bulged as he took in the pair of them, crammed into a pantry in a Beverly Hills kitchen.

"You need to go, dad," Hyde whispered urgently.

"What are you doing here?" W.B. pressed, ignoring Hyde's words.

"Witness protection, married, secret," Jackie ticked her fingers down as she spoke. "That's the key points."

W.B. pointed from Jackie to Hyde with a raised eyebrow. "Married? Real married or fake married."

"Fake obviously," Hyde snapped, spreading his hands wide.

"Don't be rude to your dad. It's not like a quickie wedding is out of character," Jackie scolded him under her breath.

"Really? Right now? You want to do this _right_ now?" Hyde rounded on Jackie, infuriated by the absurdity of the situation. It was a mistake because it pressed him even closer against her.

W.B. tilted his head in confusion. "What are you doing in the pantry?"

"Hiding," Jackie explained. Was it Hyde's imagination or was her chest heaving a little more dramatically since he'd closed the gap between them?

"Well I'll be damned," Hank's booming comments announced he was on his way back. "They're not up there either."

"Just find a reason to leave please," Hyde entreated.

W.B. nodded quickly. "You got it kiddo."

Jackie gave him a grateful thumbs up as Hyde made to shut the door again.

"One more thing?" W.B blurted out.

"What?" Hyde demanded.

"Are you alright here? Healthy and safe?" Real concern flashed across W.B.'s face.

"Yes," Hyde breathed in response before shutting the door. His lips twisted into a crooked half smile. W.B.s interest in his welfare had pleased him. As if reading his thoughts, Jackie softly squeezed his arm. That affectionate gesture tightened his throat. The kiss last night might have proved the attraction between them had never vanished but that small action made him wonder, and not for the first time, whether their connection was as destroyed as he'd once thought. He found himself hoping it wasn't.

Unconsciously he moved closer to Jackie, wanting to find out what these racing thoughts and spiking emotions might mean. But the tight quarters restricted his movement, making him clumsy. Hyde's elbow knocked the small container of paprika of the shelf. As if it happened in slow motion, Hyde tried to grab the bottle but fumbled it.

It shattered on the ground, covering them in dusty red powder.

"Greg?"

Hyde mentally cursed as Jackie froze against him. Reacting far quicker than he would have been capable of, Jackie sprang into action. Before Hyde could question her, she raked a hand through his hair, messing up his already unruly curls. He startled when her nimble fingers undid his belt buckle, his hands encircling her small wrists. Ignoring Hyde's attempts to restrain her, Jackie lifted onto her toes and ran her lips lightly across his.

The pantry door opened and the sudden intrusion of light left Hyde blinking in bewilderment. Jackie's lips left his as suddenly as they had made contact.

"Hello Hank," Jackie greeted him evenly. She didn't appear the least bit flustered.

"Mel? What are you doing in the cupboard?"

"I think it's fairly obvious what they're doing," W.B. piped up, grinning broadly. "Hi, I'm William by the way," he reached over Hank's shoulder and made a show of shaking both Jackie and Hyde's hand. He was clearly having fun with their predicament.

With horror, Hyde realised Jackie's frantic undoing of his belt had stirred a reaction low in his body and he subtly shifted so that she was blocking his lower half from view. He couldn't remember the last time he'd blushed this hard.

Hank had recovered from the surprise of finding his neighbours ensconced in the kitchen cupboard and was now wearing a very knowing smile. Which Hyde supposed had been Jackie's point. She'd given them a credible reason for their weird behaviour.

"I wanted you to meet W.B., Greg. I ran your suggestion about record store visits past him and he loves it. I know you're in the technology game but since it was your idea, I wanted you to be involved."

 _Technology?_ W.B. mouthed from behind Hank with a quizzical expression.

Hyde kept his eyes on Hank and tried to ignore his father's amused face.

"I appreciate you thinking of me, Hank," Hyde stated roughly. Why the hell did his voice sound so god damn husky? "But this isn't the best time to talk about it."

Jackie looked over her shoulder at her faux-husband and subtly flicked her eyes downwards. It struck him then that he hadn't done his belt back up and hastily reached down to buckle it once more.

W.B. bit his lip and adverted his stare, more in an attempt to prevent him bursting into laughter than to protect Hyde's modesty. However, he did come to Hyde's rescue. He clapped Hank on the shoulder jovially. "I've got to head up to New York for business this afternoon but maybe we can organise a meeting when I get back. One that's scheduled in advance?"

"That's sounds like an excellent idea," Jackie enthused.

"Doesn't it just," W.B. added, unable to resist himself. "What did you say your name was again?"

"Melissa," she responded warily.

"What a nice name. As soon as I met you, I thought you looked exactly like a Melissa."

Hank nodded in agreement, completely oblivious to the fact W.B. was just messing with them for fun now.

"We'll leave you to it. Greg, I'll call with the details once I've sorted it out."

"I feel good about this deal," W.B. announced as Jackie and Hyde walked them towards the door. "I just feel like I know you both so well already."

Hyde exchanged a pointed look with his father, telepathically telling him to tone it down. W.B. ignored him. "Let's hug it out!"

Before Hyde could protest, W.B. had scooped him and Jackie into a huge bear hug that lingered beyond necessity. It also pressed Jackie into his body anew. Hyde sighed and steeled himself against reacting too obviously. If Jackie realised the physical effect she'd had on him, Hyde was going to hand himself over to Victor Ivanov and let him shoot him.

W.B. eventually released them both with a jaunty wave and one last piece of advice thrown over his shoulder. "Lock your doors, kids!"

"He's a friendly guy," Hank offered as if to explain the odd hug before hastening after him.

The door shut behind them and Hyde lunged forward to lock it before slumping against the wood. Jackie broke off into peels of giggles.

"It isn't funny," Hyde chastised but his heart wasn't in it. He caught a glimpse of his reflection in the entry hall mirror. He looked ruffled and uncomfortable. Also he appeared to be wearing lipstick. He recalled Jackie brushing her lips over his and concluded that it was part of her masterplan.

"It suits you," Jackie commented with a wicked gleam in her eyes.

"Do you think it's my colour?" Hyde asked sarcastically.

"Looks better on me," Jackie quipped, stepping closer. "Let me get that." With deft hands she captured his chin and gently wiped the pad of her thumb against his lip, smoothing away any evidence. That sensation of being out of time and out of control jerked through his body.

Hyde stumbled backwards, blindly groping for the door behind him.

"I have to go out," he practically screeched at her.

"Why?" Jackie folded her arms and regarded him with confusion.

Twisting his body awkwardly away from her, Hyde strained his brain for a plausible excuse. "I remembered Hank still has my Rolling Stone magazine. I need it back."

"Right now?"

"Right this second," Hyde informed her barrelling out the front door.

He took a few shaky steps away and tried sucking in oxygen until his lungs were at capacity. One kiss and all those memories were coming back to him. He could remember every little detail of her in his bed, from the way her leg had hooked over his hip to the way she had laughed so hard she'd cried when he'd regaled her with stories of pranks they'd played on Kelso. Contrary to popular belief it had taken them a while to sleep together. When it had just been hooking up, she'd seemed reticent and he hadn't wanted to push it especially after her experiences with Kelso and a keen awareness that despite her larger than life presence, she was still young.

Something had changed when they'd both realised it was more than physical. When he'd gifted her his favourite T-shirt, she'd thanked him by showing him what she looked like wearing it. And only it.

Hyde groaned and pinched his nose. It wasn't just the memories of naked Jackie flooding back that was disconcerting, it was all the other bits that came along too. The memories of being in love with her.

Hyde took another deep breath and that's when he smelt something he'd not had access to since Wisconsin. Weed.

With the desperation of a starving man, Hyde followed the scent to its source. He was surprised when his nose didn't lead him much further than the Myers house. Without hesitation he hopped the fence. A group of teenagers looked at him in wide-eyed shock. They'd tucked themselves away in the far corner, out of sight of the main house and with enough distance they'd be able to hide the joint if they heard an adult coming. They clearly hadn't anticipated anyone coming over the fence.

"Who the hell are you?" one of them demanded, trying to look braver than he clearly felt.

"Neighbourhood watch," Hyde lied, unable to resist a bit of taunting.

The one who had spoken lifted his eyebrows sceptically. "You don't look like the type to volunteer for neighbourhood watch."

"How do you know that?" Hyde retorted.

"Because I've lived here my whole life."

Hyde pointed a finger at the teen. "David right?"

The bravado was quickly abandoned in favour of uncertainty. "How do you know that?"

"I'm friends with your parents," Hyde explained, inching closer and wondering how it would go if he simply stole the joint.

"We have to go," one of the other boys announced before bolting, leaving David to fend for himself. Hyde repressed a grin at the similarities between them and his friends when they'd been younger.

"Listen, Mister, please don't tell my parents. I'll get grounded."

"Relax, I'm no narc. Give me a hit and we're all good," Hyde offered.

David pursed his lips before tentatively holding out the joint as if he still suspected it was a trap.

"Relax, the cops aren't going to fall out of the trees after you hand it to me."

David rolled his eyes but some tension eased out of his shoulders and he passed it to Hyde.

Hyde took a long and deep draw. He felt the familiar warmth unfurl at his centre and spiral outwards.

"Oh that's good."

"I didn't think old people did drugs?" David had crossed his arms.

"I'm not that old," Hyde retaliated, surveying the teenager. Hyde had maybe four years on him, five max, and David was acting like he needed a walking frame.

Hyde took another hit before observing circle etiquette and passing it back to David, who hesitated briefly before lifting it to his mouth.

Hyde closed his eyes as the effects took hold. "How much would it cost me to get a regular supply from you?" Hyde knew he probably shouldn't be asking the Myer's kid to get him drugs but desperate times called for desperate measures.

"Can't you get your own?"

"Can't, man. The cops are watching everything I do."

David shook his head. "Pot makes you paranoid you know?" the kid warned.

Hyde just tipped back his head and laughed.

 **AN: I'm not sure the consensus on when Jackie and Hyde went from making out to sleeping together, I'm pretty sure it was never addressed explicitly on the show but decided to make them wait a bit longer into their relationship in my head canon and this fic. Please review and let me know what you thought!**


	12. Chapter 12

Hyde had walked out that door hours ago and had yet to reappear. Jackie tried not to worry even as she chewed on her nails. She should have known that running her thumb across his bottom lip was forward but he'd looked unusually adorable standing there wearing her lipstick and she'd only just been reminded how kissable his mouth was.

So she'd acted without thinking and, if the past year had taught her anything it was that, acting without thinking _was a bad idea._

Hyde had run away, practically in the throes of a panic attack, and when his absence had extended into hours, Jackie began contemplating recruiting Annette to help her find him.

The door opened and Jackie was on her feet in an instant. She tried to conceal the disappointed slump of her shoulders when it was just Clyde. The stoic but astute agent noticed all the same.

An arched eyebrow was question enough.

"I haven't seen Hyde for a few hours," Jackie confessed. "I'm started to get anxious that he's doing something stupid."

"I wouldn't worry. He's getting stoned with the neighbour's kid."

"He's _what_?"

Clyde didn't even flinch at her raised voice. "The Myers' oldest child David. He clearly has access to weed."

Jackie was thrown by the complete lack of concern Clyde was exhibiting. "Shouldn't you go stop him?"

Clyde half-shrugged. "I've been checking on him pretty regularly to make sure he's behaving. Apparently there is a car that runs on water that the government is keeping secret? If Annette figures it out then I'll go get him home. Otherwise I don't see the harm."

"How about it's illegal?"

There was the faintest echo of a smile on Clyde's face now. It was the first time Jackie had seen a real expression on the FBI agent. "Believe it or not, I was young once too."

Jackie crossed her arms in front of her body. "I assumed you and Annette hatched out of eggs as fully formed law enforcing adults."

"Weirdly enough, no."

Jackie processed this new information along with the unexpected evidence that Clyde had a personality. Why did she really want him to go collect Hyde and bring him back here? For his safety or for her sanity? She found that she actually wanted his presence. With all his complicated volatility and rough edges. Having him around again was like finding the final missing piece of a puzzle. He completed the picture.

Clyde stayed patiently silent while Jackie came to the revolution that at some point over the last few weeks, she'd started to forgive Hyde in earnest. Or maybe this time away had resurrected the Hyde she had fallen in love with. Either prospect filled her with terror and yet Jackie had always been brave enough to confront her own emotions.

"He's not such a bad kid," Clyde mused as if psychic.

"That your professional opinion?" Jackie teased, amused by the way Clyde thought of them as children still. "Despite the drugs?"

Another half shrug. "He has the air of someone who's been broken and self-destructive but is only just learning to heal."

"You think getting high is helping?"

"I think you are. And the drugs are just away for him to come to terms with it all."

…

Hyde would throw himself into a fight without a second thought but when it came to confronting his own feelings he was a bit of a coward. Especially as he was only just realising he had absolutely no control over the nature or direction of his emotions.

He wasn't sure if the joint had helped or made things worse. There was a pleasing relaxation spreading through his body but his mind was still racing with a million jagged thoughts.

His fun had been cut somewhat short by Hanks discovery of them smoking in the backyard. Hyde was surprised when Hank had merely rolled his eyes at the pair of them and ushered them inside.

He scolded David and informed him that in exchange for him not telling his mother, Hank expected him to wash the cars and mow the lawn. David had slunk off as if his life was over and Hyde had resisted the urge to shout that he didn't know how lucky he'd been. If Red had caught them red handed in a circle, he would have shipped them all off to military school regardless of whether they were his children or not.

Hank had turned to Hyde and he'd braced himself for a lecture on how disappointing his behaviour was. Instead Hank had said, "If you wanted some green, you don't have to bum it off teenagers."

Hyde had squinted in confusion at the older man. "I promised my personal secretary that I was going to give it up for a bit."

"And why did you fall off the wagon?"

"My wife."

Hank had chuckled at that and produced a pack of potato crisps that Hyde eyed with mouth-watering desire. He'd let Hyde stay and watch TV until the affects began to wear off and he could reasonably face Annette without suspicion. He also experienced an enormous sense of gratitude for Hank. Hyde always appreciated when someone demonstrated they had his back with no strings attached.

Feeling more level headed and a little embarrassed that Jackie was still able to overwhelm him with nothing more than a touch, Hyde made his way home. It wasn't late when he got home but he found the house was quiet and dark.

He was crossing his fingers that he would be able to avoid running into Annette and having to explain his whereabouts. As for the other female resident in the house. Well, he was of two minds. Part of him was certain that if he saw Jackie, the tornado of thoughts would spiral out of control. And part of him was convinced that seeing her would settle him.

Hyde was shaken from his introspection by the sound of a voice calling from within the dark. It was a panicked sound and it was coming from Jackie's room. Instinctively he knew she was having a nightmare and without hesitating, hastened in her direction.

As he got closer, Hyde could make out words.

"Please! Don't hurt him!"

A glow emanated from her room and Hyde used it to guide him forward. He burst into her room, spoiling for a fight though there was no physical assailant. But the sheer sound of Jackie's fear woke every primal, protective instinct in Hyde's body.

Jackie was curled up on the bed looking smaller than ever. The bed covers had been kicked to the side and a sheen of sweat had appeared on her forehead. Her eyes were scrunched closed and her lips were moving in silent communication.

Seeing her like that made Hyde's chest tight with concern and stopped him in his tracks.

"No!" the plea burst out of her mouth accompanied by a sob and pushed Hyde into action.

"Jackie, wake up," he commanded, shaking her shoulder urgently.

"Don't-"

She never got the opportunity to finish her request because Hyde called to her again. "Jackie, please." He sounded as rattled as she did.

He slumped in relief when her eyes flew open, blurring with confusion and unshed tears.

Her small fists curled into the front of his shirt. "Steven?"

"Yeah it's me. You're alright." At some point he'd gotten rid of his sunglasses, tossing them aside. Hyde gently smoothed her hair back and off her face. "It was just a nightmare."

His heart was thudding violently in his chest but he struggled to keep a calming tone. Jackie's fingers were still clinging to his shirt, her breathing racked, but comprehension was beginning to dawn.

"Are you ok?" The question was shaky.

One of his hands had slid to her shoulder. "I'm fine," he assured her. Considering she was the one he'd found in the midst of a nightmare, he found her concern for him peculiar.

His answer seemed to satisfy her and the ensuing inhalation was deep. She was too relieved.

"Why?" he asked quietly.

Jackie swallowed hard and averted her gaze. She was staring at the floor and for a minute Hyde thought she wasn't going to respond but eventually she began to talk.

"I've been having the same nightmare since we got here," she began haltingly. Her voice was hoarse from crying out. "I'm back in that alley."

Hyde tensed but held his tongue, unwilling to interrupt her.

"Every time, those men are there with guns and they're pointing them at me."

Anger stirred in his stomach at the fear that was etched into her features. His hands tightened on her skin. "They can't hurt you, Jackie. I won't let them." He'd never meant anything more in his life.

She still wouldn't look at him. "It's not me they hurt."

"What do you mean?" Hyde tried to tilt his head and catch her eyes.

Her hands were trembling against his chest. "They hurt you. It's always you. They put you on your knees and shoot you right in front of me every time." Jackie finally met his stare head on. Her eyes wide and bloodshot.

"I beg them every time to let you go but it never works. Having to watch that… it's like I get shot too. I see you die each night, wake up, then go through it all over again."

Hyde was speechless, unable to find words that would sum up how sorry he was that she had to endure that every time she tried to sleep. Jackie's assessment file flashed in his mind. _We believe categorically that the primary reason she agreed to be placed in witness protection was to protect Mr Hyde._

"That's won't happen," he swore to her ardently. "Those assholes aren't going to touch me or you."

"You don't know that!"

"You really think Annette is going to let any second rate gangster kill me? You know well and good, if anyone was going to shoot me, it would be her and she's unlikely to share the honour."

The joke earned him a weak smile but even that faded version was better than her distress.

"And I did not clean the basement up before I left," Hyde continued, warming to this tact. "Red would kick my ass back from the dead before he let me get away without vacuuming."

Jackie giggled softly. "Never mind Red, Mrs Foreman wouldn't let a little thing like death stop her from hugging her babies."

Hyde rolled his eyes at being called one of Mrs Foreman's 'babies' but it was mostly for show. "And there is another Star Wars film coming out in May that Foreman is definitely going to make me go see."

"Three times."

"Three times," Hyde agreed.

Jackie tried to look serious. "I guess it's settled then. You can't die."

"Not any time soon," Hyde acknowledged, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her hair. Jackie's breathing hitched and he had to pretend he didn't notice or that it didn't feel like sparks along his skin.

Abruptly Jackie threw her arms around his neck, tugging him into a tight embrace. The movement pulled him off balance and he was forced half on to the bed just to stop himself from falling to the ground. Pulse in his mouth, Hyde returned the hug. He wound his arms around her and held her against his body.

They naturally curled in towards each other and Jackie's head ended up on his chest. Her ear was pressed against his heart as they lay there in silence.

"Please stay," she whispered raggedly.

"Anything for you, doll."

…

Jackie tried to focus on what Nancy was saying across the table, aimlessly picking at salad in her bowl. She wasn't absorbing a word of the conversation, her brain was still preoccupied with this morning.

It wasn't like she'd never woken up that way before but it had been over a year since she'd woken up in Hyde's arms.

He'd come barging into her room and roused her from her nightmare like some knight in shining armour and Jackie had been completely unwilling to let him leave. Instead she'd swallowed her pride and apprehension and asked him to stay.

She'd drifted off to the rise and fall of his chest and the steady drum of his heartbeat against her cheek. At some point during the night they'd rearranged so that her back was tucked in against his chest, his arm draped over her waist. Like they'd done a million times before, their hands had found each other in the dark and tangled together and come to rest on her thigh.

Jackie had woken up feeling safe and warm. A thumb was drawing lazy patterns on her thigh. She knew that didn't mean he was awake. It was a well-protected secret but Hyde had always been the more likely to reach out for physical contact and affection of the two of them. Jackie had always suspected this stemmed from his inability to communicate his feelings verbally and the deprivation of affection he'd endured throughout his childhood.

Jackie sighed and wished this moment would extend forever. The beautiful simplicity would be shattered apart once they were both fully awake and the real world began to intrude.

Jackie knew at once when Hyde woke up. The patterns became less random and the press of his thumb became more deliberate. She felt the change. The touch shifted from comforting and innocent to loaded and intentional.

The silence in the room was thick and broken only by her breathing; which Jackie was sure was now loud and harsh.

Unable to stop herself, Jackie wiggled back into him. She was triumphant when he stop tracing outlines and instead gripped her hand. His mouth was warm at the nape of her neck.

For a brief moment, they teetered on the precipice. If she just spoke she would shatter this moment to pieces. She stayed silent.

Hyde's lips brushed against her skin and ignited the rest of her. Despite every impulse in her body firing, Jackie still moved slowly, cautiously, mirroring Hyde. She inched their entangled hands up over her hip until they came to rest at the base of her stomach, under her shirt. His palm was pressed flat against her skin.

A kiss skimmed lightly over her shoulder. Her pulse was drumming in her body, reacting to the gentle contact. The hand skimmed upward, completely autonomous now. It settled warmly on her ribs, the cool of his wedding ring a sharp contrast. An inch higher and they would be past the point of no return.

How Jackie desperately wanted him to close the gap.

"Jackie, phone call for you!"

Hyde's groan vibrated against her.

It was Annette calling for her. Jackie considered ignoring it but suspected that Annette would come check on her, not anticipating the scene she would walk in on. The thought of an audience was a bucket of cold water on the mood. It also made Jackie realise she had been intending to let Hyde take things as far as he wanted.

Jackie rolled out of bed, throwing Hyde's enticing limbs off her as she went.

His eyes were a darker shade of blue in the half light of the room.

"Bad timing?" Jackie suggested pathetically.

Hyde raised an incredulous eyebrow but didn't say anything. Jackie wanted him to break the uncomfortable silence with a joke or a sarcastic comment. She would even take a poorly timed but venom-less insult.

Correcting her clothes, Jackie went and took her phone call which had been Nancy inviting her to lunch. By the time she'd returned to her room, Hyde had disappeared and Jackie was left with a twinge in her body that couldn't be ignored.

"You've not listened to a word I've said have you?"

Jackie was forced from her memories into the present. Nancy was regarding her not unkindly but she blushed all the same.

"I'm sorry, Nancy. My brain was totally somewhere else."

"Not enough sleep?"

"The opposite actually." Jackie almost didn't know what to do with herself after a night of solid sleep. Well apart from trying to jump her ex's bones.

"Would you like me to tell you again?" Nancy offered with a crooked smile.

"Please," Jackie accepted gratefully.

"I was saying how pleased with her dress Dorothy was and it had us talking about how much you've helped us with this ball."

"I was happy to help," Jackie interjected, uncharacteristically uncomfortable with the praise.

"And we came to the decision that if you wanted to go to university and get a degree, we'd all like to invest in you if you still intend to start a personal shopping business."

Jackie's mouth dropped open and since she was mid-chew it had a less than glamorous effect.

Nancy winced. "You'll have to learn to not do that when meeting with clients."

Jackie's mind was whirling and for the first time today her attention was completely diverted from thinking about Hyde.

"You really want to invest money in _me_?"

Nancy nodded. "You know I adore our friendship but I've come to really respect what you're capable of."

Jackie's eyes were brimming with tears that she held back with tremendous effort. "I have to go to university first though?" She asked the question to give her time to process.

"Since it's something I get the sense you'd really like to do for yourself, then let's say it's a condition of my investment." Nancy winked at her across the table. "The ball is in two days, you can give me an answer after that?"

Jackie was quiet on the road home. This was an opportunity she'd wanted her entire life and now she didn't even know if she could take it. Nancy hadn't offered it to Jackie Burkhart, she'd offered it to Melissa. A woman who wouldn't even exist in a few months. Jackie supposed she could plead her case but would Nancy feel betrayed? Would she feel like it was all more trouble than it was worth?

As she let herself back into the mansion that was beginning to feel more like home, Jackie discovered that she wanted to talk about it with Hyde. It was a startling to realise when she'd been weighing the pros and cons in her mind in the car, one of the voices had been his. Even more bizarre was his was the one saying she should seize this opportunity and run with it.

Jackie followed the sound of people towards the kitchen.

"Are you calling me a cheater?"

"I don't see anyone else cheating!"

"I am an upstanding and law abiding member of the community!"

"Maybe we should stop playing?"

Jackie slumped against the door frame and grinned in amusement at the sight in front of her. Hyde, Annette and Eleanor had gathered around the kitchen table, each clutching a handful of cards and shooting aggressive looks at the other. At least Hyde and Annette were. Eleanor kept casting concerned glances in the direction of the oven where a heavenly smell was emanating from.

"All I'm saying is that you've had a lot of aces," Hyde said pointedly, unaware of Jackie's presence.

"There are four in the deck, can you not count?" Annette shot back.

"Having fun?" Jackie called.

"No," Hyde complained. "I think they should seriously reconsider who we hire."

"I'm winning," Annette replied with a broad smile.

"You're cheating," Hyde corrected.

"Fine, then I quit," Annette threw back.

Shaking her head, Jackie moved closer to the game. "What are you playing? Poker?"

"Go fish," Eleanor responded with a helpless expression. "They said it would be fun."

Jackie stifled a laugh and casually reached out to touch Hyde's cards to better examine them.

His hand shot out and caught her wrist. "Uh no. For all I know you're a spy sent by Annette to better cheat."

Jackie trilled at the way his fingers encircled her entire wrist. "You're out of luck then, I've seen all your cards."

Hyde glanced up at her in contemplation before placing her hand lightly on his shoulder. "You stay right there until this is over."

"Taking this a bit seriously aren't you?" Annette queried with a raised eyebrow. Heat crept into Jackie's cheek, the knowing look the agent gave her a bit too pointed.

"Its life or death," Hyde responded in a deadpan tone. "She stays."

Jackie could barely focus on the spoken words, so consumed with the feel of Hyde's solid warmth against her palm. Every shift of movement, every twitch muscle, she detected with her skin. And he'd drawn her closer.

The sliding door open and Carlos entered the kitchen. The white shirt he was wearing was clinging to his body in all the right ways. He drew the back of his hand across his forehead. Hyde's shoulders tightened but there was otherwise no other outward reaction.

"Hey man," he said casually instead.

Jackie wasn't imagining the way Carlos glanced at her hand or the way his eyebrows lowered slightly. Guilt blossomed in her stomach, fully aware that if Carlos had any affections for her, it was because she had encouraged it. She liked Carlos well enough, for one thing he was her beauty equal. But he wasn't Hyde.

Jackie's fingers curled tighter into Hyde's shoulder and judging from the way he exhaled sharply, it hurt. She was slightly glad there was a bit of pain. He had smashed apart her happiness but still had a piece of her heart that she would never claim back for herself let alone give to someone else.

Carlos nodded a greeting and the kitchen became very claustrophobic. Judging from the way Annette was grimacing into her cards, Jackie had a feeling she was fully aware of the flirtation that had occurred between her and Carlos.

Jackie cleared her throat, fully intending to make some kind of joke to ease the tension. From above there came a loud crash. Everyone was on their feet in an instant.

"What was that?" Hyde demanded.

"A door slamming?" Annette suggested levelly but her eyes were raised to the roof and her entire body seemed poised to move.

There was another clamorous thud and angry voices. Annette had her gun out of holster. Jackie reeled back at the sight of the weapon, flashes of her nightmare exploding in her brain.

"Stay here," Annette instructed calmly. Jackie wished she could be that composed, her hands were already shaking. Hyde had gathered her in against him at the emergence of the weapon.

"It's probably nothing," he assured her quietly though she could tell from the set of his jaw that he was worried.

Move deliberately Annette left the kitchen. To Jackie's complete surprise Carlos was at right behind her with a gun of his own.

"What?" she managed to stutter, pointing after him.

"I'll explain later," Hyde hissed. She didn't need to see him roll his eyes to know he was.

"If you two would come further into the kitchen please," Eleanor requested politely. "We'll be out of the way in there."

Jackie turned to oblige the housekeeper and was confronted with yet another weapon.

"Jackie, I need you to stand behind me so I can protect you," Eleanor explained slowly.

" _What!_ "

"Everyone here works for the FBI," Hyde announced in a ramble, throwing his hands up in the air. "Don't make a big deal out of it."

He had known the whole time? Jackie itched to slap him for keeping this from her. She'd been kept in the dark when everyone else knew the truth.

"Don't make a big deal out of it?" Jackie hissed back. "Are the Myers about to burst in with guns too?"

Hyde shrugged. "Maybe. I can't predict what Hank might do."

The sounds of a struggled made them both jump and clutch hands, argument completely forgotten.

Jackie waited with baited breath for the inevitable gunshots but none of them came. There was only silence which was disconcerting in its own right.

"Should we go check on them?" Hyde whispered to Eleanor, who shook her head.

Approaching footsteps had them all on high alert, Eleanor's gun raised and ready to fire and all Jackie could think was that she might die in the next few minutes and she'd have so many questions and unfulfilled plans.

A figure materialised in front of them and for a beat all Jackie and Hyde could do was stare.

"For fucks sake!" Hyde spat out.

"That's harsh man," Michael Kelso replied with a pout.


	13. Chapter 13

Hyde wouldn't be surprised if Jackie wore a hole into the ground with her pacing. She'd been stalking back and forwards across the lounge room for at least ten minutes.

She'd gasped when Kelso had appeared in the kitchen, roughly shoved in by Annette who was disgruntled but at least holstering her gun.

"Does this belong to you?" she'd asked witheringly.

That wasn't the last surprise though; Fez, Donna and Eric were sheparded in seconds afterwards with Carlos behind them.

Jackie had stamped her foot and cried, "What is going on?"

Carlos had the grace to look embarrassed and he made even that expression attractive. But Hyde didn't have much capacity to spare for jealously. Steam was practically coming out of Jackie's ears as she slowly pieced together what had happened.

It would be no good explaining that he'd kept the truth from her to protect her. It was likely it would earn him another swift kick to the shins.

And now they were seated on couches, the intruders trying to appear contrite but too obviously curious. Even while they apologised, they'd edged closer to the large TV to admire it.

If Jackie was the angriest person in the room then Annette a close second.

"One of you better explain how you got here and what you're doing sneaking in a window?" Annette snapped. Her steely expression was beginning to make even Kelso look apprehensive.

Hyde had honestly expected Jackie to begin demanding answers first but her rage seemed to have reduced her to huffing and furious glares. Carlos seemed to be receiving more than his fair share of betrayed glances, which inexplicably evoked envy in Hyde. It was a ridiculous thing, to feel bitter that he wasn't the sole recipient of the brunt of Jackie's anger. But he was.

"I can explain," Eric stuttered. "Kelso, you start?"

"Why do I have to start?" Kelso protested.

Donna reached over to slap his shoulder. "Because it's all your fault we're here, dillhole."

"And besides, your good looks might dazzle her and she'll forget why she's mad," Fez suggested earnestly.

Hyde put his forehead in his palm and wondered not for the first time why he was friends with these clowns. Fearing Annette might actually shoot Fez, Hyde interjected.

"Kelso, just start talking. How is it your fault?" His skin prickled and he realised he'd once again become the focus of Jackie's attention. Her eyes were icy and speculative. He swallowed and wished he could have a moment in private to discuss things with her.

Kelso placed his hand on his chest. "I swear on my grave that this is not my fault. Much."

"Spit it out!" Jackie finally broke her silence and was pointing a stern finger at Kelso.

"I heard Angie was back in town so I went by the record store to see if I could find her."

Hyde's forehead furrowed. "What did you want with my sister?"

Kelso paused before answering. "Oh nothing important."

Hyde's fingers clenched but resisted hitting him because for once Kelso had something to say that he was interested in hearing.

"Any way," Kelso continued in a rush, "there were two men riffling around in the office when I got there and they spoke with a Russian accent."

Hyde tensed and Jackie mirrored his reaction. Annette's anger was swiftly replaced with concern.

"Russian?"

"Yes, he talked like this." Kelso did a passable impression of Count Von Count from Sesame Street and a dubious impression of a Russian accent.

Eric groaned and pinched his nose. "What did I say about doing the accent?"

"To do it?"

"Or the opposite of that?"

"What else did he say?" Annette pressed.

"He was obviously looking for Hyde and when they couldn't get any information one of them said it didn't matter because 'Victor knows a cop that will give him anything for the right price.'" Kelso used air quotes to finish his statement.

Annette swapped glances with both Eleanor and Carlos, both of whom appeared alarmed.

"Why didn't you call the police?"

"To be fair, we tried," Donna explained. "They didn't believe us."

Carlos' mouth dropped open in astonishment. "Why not?"

Donna winced. 'Let's just say that Kelso doesn't have a reputation for being a reliable witness."

Fez stroked his friend's shoulder conciliatorily. "They're jealous of your beauty."

"Thank you, Fez!" Kelso announced pointedly, causing Donna to roll her eyes.

"So how did you end up here?" Annette directed that question more specifically at Donna and Eric, correctly identifying them as the most useful.

Donna was blatantly uncomfortable. "We may have broken into the Chicago Police HQ and stolen the file that had Jackie and Hyde's location."

Kelso jutted his chin proudly. "I'm a cop."

"One, that's horrifying," Annette waved off Kelso. "And two, how do you know you weren't followed?"

Another awkward silence descended and Hyde chanced a glance at Jackie who had blanched at what Annette had asked.

Eric rolled his shoulders clumsily. "I mean, we let Fez drive. He's pretty hard to keep up with."

Fez flashed a grin that was possibly meant to be charming but was just remorseful.

Annette pushed her hair back despite already being well contained in a neat bun. She glared at Hyde as if he was responsible for his friend's actions. As mad as he was at them himself, he knew they had meant well. They'd only done what they had to protect him and Jackie.

"I need to make some calls. _Don't move_ ," Annette growled before stepping out of the room, leaving them in the care of Eleanor and Carlos. The latter was edging close to Jackie much to Hyde's annoyance.

"Jackie, please let me explain."

Jackie's eyebrows flew up. "Explain? _Explain_?"

"Oh I haven't heard that octave since you left Wisconsin," Eric reminisced fondly.

"All those times we talked and you never said anything!" Jackie's hands were waving in the air expressively.

"How many times exactly?" Hyde grumbled in a low voice.

"Hyde, who is that incredibly handsome man apologising to Jackie?" Fez whispered out of the corner of his mouth. Well, he tried to whisper. Carlos and Jackie both turned in his direction. Hyde didn't like how much this argument resembled a lovers' quarrel. He swallowed thickly and pretended not to notice the way that Donna was scrutinising him.

Eleanor tried to soothe the situation. "I know you've had a shock, Jackie but I promise we were all doing what we thought was best for you." She touched Jackie's shoulder gently.

"I am sick of people deciding what is best for me," Jackie grouched but didn't shrug off Eleanor's hand and her tone was slightly less heated.

"And we should have discussed it with you," Eleanor acknowledged. "How about a cup of tea and we can answer all your questions?"

Jackie bit her lip before nodding. Hyde exhaled noisily, attracting unwanted attention from Jackie back in his direction. He wished he could apologise as seamlessly as Eleanor had but he couldn't bring himself to speak. If he'd been alone with Jackie, maybe he could've taken her hand and said sorry. But they weren't alone.

He resisted the urge to shout. He could see everything they'd built between them come crumbling down. Just this morning she'd been tucked in his embrace, his palm on the flat of her stomach as he had weighed up the consequences of rolling Jackie underneath him. He had just decided it was worth it, admitting to himself just how much he wanted her – emotionally and physically – when they'd been interrupted. And now he to contend not only with her two ex-boyfriends but possibly the most handsome man in California.

…

As much as Jackie believed that Hyde didn't deserve the honour of her even looking in his direction, some traitorous part of her kept glancing at him all the same.

She didn't remember the last time he'd seemed so lost, as if he was constantly on the verge of saying something but he never did.

She reminded herself that he was as complicit in the lies as everyone else but by that same token, his were the only excuses that she wanted to hear. Had it all been to protect her? That infuriated her no end but it also meant Hyde had made a decision which's sole purpose had been to guard her.

So now anger warred with affection, which rounded up to her being pissed off. Yes, she was fucking pissed off.

And as much as she wanted to throw a temper tantrum and storm out the front door, she couldn't. Because there might be a crazy mob boss on her trail who would like nothing more than to kill her.

Jackie was stuck between a rock and a hard place, feeling helplessly out of control of her own life. Could she get Hyde somewhere private to have a conversation? Granted the conversation would include a lot of her yelling but she'd give him a chance to explain himself. After the yelling.

That was something she would never have entertained only a few months ago. The California heat had melted her brain and made her soft. Or Hyde's kisses had stripped away all the defences she had placed between them.

"Can you show me the bathroom, Jackie?" Donna asked, casting furtive eyes from Eleanor and Carlos, as if expecting them both to instruct her to stay where she was.

"Sure," Jackie agreed. Despite the situation she now found herself in, Jackie was incredibly pleased to see Donna. She gestured for Donna to follow her. The weight of Hyde's eyes bore down on her shoulders but Jackie straightened her spine and linked arms with her friend.

She led Donna to the ensuite that was attached to her room but Donna shrugged it off. "I didn't need to go. Just needed to escape the tension down there." The red head seized Jackie and pulled her into tight hug, which Jackie returned with equal force.

"I missed you," Jackie revealed. "Though not those shoes. Donna, really. We're in _Beverly hills!_ "

Donna chuckled and embraced her harder. "I missed you too. Even your fashion comments."

Jackie broke away and rubbed at her eyes to deter any tears that might threaten to spill down her cheeks.

"I'm so sorry if we made things unsafe for you," Donna said earnestly.

Jackie brushed this aside. "I know you guys came to help."

Donna twisted her mouth in contemplation. "Then why do I get the feeling we've made things worse?"

"Because Kelso was involved?" Jackie suggested, prompting both girls to laugh.

Flopping on the bed, Donna folded her legs underneath her. "So what's been happening? I know _nothing_ except for your address. Has it been torture living with Hyde?"

Jackie tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "It actually hasn't been," she confessed.

Donna shimmied her shoulders in excitement. "Are you two friends again?"

Jackie rolled her eyes at her friend's obvious eagerness. "Not exactly friends."

Donna sat bolt right up as if she'd been electrocuted. "Are you two back _together_?"

"NO!" Jackie cried. "No, we're not. It's complicated."

"That means back together, Jackie," Donna opined, starting to grin.

Tilting her head in exasperation, Jackie tried to explain. "We are not back together. We just don't hate each other anymore."

"So you guys had sex?"

"We just kissed," Jackie whined.

"Ha!" Donna pointed her finger triumphantly at her friend. "You guys kissed. I knew it!"

"How?" Jackie asked witheringly.

"Because he looked like a kicked puppy when tall, dark and handsome fell all over himself apologising to you.

"That means nothing," Jackie scoffed.

"He did not insult you when we were downstairs. Not even once."

Jackie paused. "Ok. That might mean something."

Donna smirked knowingly. "Told ya', Midge."

Jackie lightly shoved her smug friend, wishing she could argue her assessment. "It got confusing. We were married and that just threw everything off."

Donna started. " _Married_?"

"Oh, not real married. Fake married," Jackie clarified, patting Donna on the knee.

"Of course, that all makes sense," Donna said dryly.

"And he was being nice to me again and that kiss!"

"Hot?"

"So hot, Donna," Jackie groaned and covered her face with her hands. "But now I can't decide what I want and I have literally no idea what he thinks."

Donna clicked her fingers like she'd had a light bulb moment. "Because he doesn't talk."

"He doesn't talk, Donna. A banana would talk more than him."

"Speaking of," Donna said leaning forward. "Have you seen his banana again?"

"Can you answer that when I'm not here?" a masculine voice asked from the doorway. Eric was standing against the frame with his arms crossed.

Jackie fought down a blush and glowered at the intrusion. She hadn't been able to talk to her best friend in forever and now Eric was interrupting.

"Don't look at me that way, Jackie. I don't want to hear any more about Hyde's banana than strictly necessary-"

"How much would be strictly necessary?" Donna asked in confusion.

"-but your scary FBI friend asked me to get you."

Blowing out a sigh, Jackie got to her feet. "We'll talk more later," Jackie promised Donna who was grinning at her boyfriend's poor choice of words.

She returned to the main area with the couple trailing.

"I'm just curious about what level of information you need about your friend's junk. What falls into the 'strictly necessary' category?" Donna was saying.

Unfazed, Eric's response was, "I've got a chart. I can show you sometime."

Annette had calmed down some. She was regarding them tiredly. "I'm going to have to relocate you. All of you." She didn't waste time diving in.

"We have lives and jobs," Eric protested.

"And we didn't?" Hyde demanded, losing his cool.

There was a beat. "Jackie didn't," Fez observed. She pointed her tongue out in his direction.

"When do we have to go?" Hyde asked. His jaw was tight.

"As soon as possible," Annette informed them. "Possibly tomorrow."

"The ball is tomorrow!" Jackie knew her objection would sound trivial to the others in the room but she had worked so hard on the event and surely another twenty-four hours wouldn't put them in too much danger.

Annette's lips were pursed but she didn't reject it out of hand. Jackie saw Eric mouth 'ball?' at Donna who shook her head.

"It can't hurt," Hyde muttered unexpectedly.

Jackie fought not to react at his unexpected assistance. His head was downwards as if the floor was suddenly incredibly interesting.

"Alright," Annette conceded. "We'll stay for that."

"Can we go?" Fez piped up. "I like dancing."

There was a tic at Annette's temple and her hand disconcertingly went to the handle of her gun for a fraction of a second. "I guess that's ok, since we'll be moving on soon after. And I prefer to have you all in one place so I can keep an eye on you."

"How much damage can they do in one night?" Carlos contributed. He tried to catch Jackie's eyes but she wasn't ready for that yet. She didn't have the same level of fondness for him as Hyde.

Kelso chose that moment to shriek in pain. "Ah hot, burnies hot!" He'd just taken a large mouthful of the tea Eleanor had procured for them all. "Why did no one warn me it would be hot?"

"Because it's _tea_!" Hyde snapped. "It's supposed to be hot, Kelso. Y'know on second thoughts, maybe we should consider limiting the invitations to the ball."

"Agreed," Annette stated while Kelso pouted and fanned his tongue.

"Just one quick question," Hyde said, obviously on a roll. "Since we didn't do anything wrong, you'll be putting me and Jackie in another mansion right?"

Jackie found Annette's expression to be ominous.

Detecting the same thing, Hyde grimaced. "Don't tell me we're going somewhere awful. Like Alabama!"

"The plan as it stands is to separate you into threes, two with each Eleanor, two with Carlos, and two with myself." Annette's answer was for all of them but Jackie got the sense she was talking directly to Hyde for some reason. "There is no reason you two have to be cohabitated again."

No more living with Hyde? Jackie tried to imagine what that would be like. Less confusing for one but then why was her stomach churning?

"You could go with Fez or Kelso for example."

"Oh, Jackie we could practice our next roller disco routine." Fez clapped his hands in delight but Jackie couldn't muster up the same enthusiasm, her mind was spinning.

"But it's up to you two. What do you want to do?"

Hyde wouldn't look at her and for the life of her, Jackie didn't know what the right decision was.

"Can I think about it?" Jackie requested meekly. She couldn't see the way Hyde's fingers curled into a fist.

Annette nodded. "Just decide by tomorrow night and let me know."

 **AN: If I was in this story I would have thrown them all in a van and gotten them out stat but this is based on a comedy show where the characters make bad decisions and hijinks ensue. So I in no way endorse many of the actions moving forward but they are in keeping with the theme of the show.**

 **Please review!**


	14. Chapter 14

Jackie was sitting on the plush chairs of a clothing store sipping their complimentary champagne while barely tasting it. Her mind was a million miles away as it struggled to process yesterday's events.

Her friends had catapulted into her life again and as pleased as she was to see them, Jackie also resented them for confusing things. She was just beginning to understand Hyde again and the possibility he might once more fit into her life.

And now she was being forced to make a decision that she didn't feel able to make. Should she ask to be moved with him or did she avoid what was inevitably going to be messy and hard, picking to going with Kelso or Fez? What if all the complications were worth it?

She'd spent an almost sleepless night with Donna by her side. She'd grilled Jackie mercilessly for details about Hyde, her new life and why the handsome FBI agent kept mooning at her. Jackie had protested that description but mostly it was nice to have someone to gossip with endlessly.

Donna had thankfully woken up early in a fit of panic about what to wear to the gala. As she explained she'd not really "packed for event extravaganzas."

Jackie had the perfect person to call. All she'd said was "clothing S.O.S" into the phone and Nancy rushed right over.

It was weird having the two women meet for the first time and having two worlds collide. But Jackie had explained that she knew Donna from high school and she happened to be in town for a last minute meeting. When they'd consulted Annette she said Donna may as well use her real first name as she wouldn't be here much longer.

Donna to her credit managed to hold her tongue and only rolled her eyes when Jackie had patted her on the shoulder and confided to Nancy that Donna had been at her school on a scholarship. Jackie was worried that they might not get along, being two entirely different personalities but she needn't have fretted. She'd clearly underestimated Nancy's ability to make friends with just about everyone.

They quickly found common ground when they discovered they were reading the same book. This led to a lengthy literacy discussion which lasted until they reached the dress shop. Jackie had managed to discreetly hide her yawns.

Nancy had pulled some strings and gotten them a last minute appointment in a gown shop across town. The saleswoman and seamstress were fussing around Donna as they tried to find a dress that was flattering and would fit her tall frame.

Jackie was pleased she wasn't the one being poked and prodded. Her Victor Costa was already hanging in her cupboard ready to go. She instead she got to enjoy her time with Nancy. She would miss her when she had to leave and Jackie still hadn't decided the best way to say good bye. She supposed she'd also be saying farewell to any business venture they might have embarked on together. Jackie's throat felt tight and so she banished those thoughts and tried to enjoy the moment. If Nancy sensed Jackie's mind was elsewhere, then she kindly kept those suspicions to herself.

They were meeting Betty, Dorothy and Patricia for lunch to go over last minute details but then they all had hair and make-up appointments. Jackie had been perfectly happy doing her own but Nancy had insisted that it wouldn't be nearly as much fun if Jackie didn't join her. She'd arranged for a few ladies to come to her home and wouldn't hear any more excuses about Jackie not wanting to intrude. She'd generously extended the invitation to Donna. Another reminder that while her life was mostly fake, Jackie had made real connections that would be hard to give up.

…

Since most of the FBI were busy frantically trying to coordinate their relocation, Hyde, Kelso, Eric and Fez were basically left unsupervised in the mansion.

Annette had informed him they had no reason to believe their cover had been compromised and moving was merely a precaution. But since she had barked this information at him over her fourth cup of coffee, Hyde was guessing it had made her tense all the same.

Their morning had been filled pretty completely getting clothes suitable to wear to the dance. Unlike Jackie, Hyde had always intended on getting organised at the last minute.

Free from regulation, Hyde had sought out David and got his hands on enough weed to conduct a circle.

The four boys sat at the outdoor setting in the backyard and passed the joint around. Rich people even had access to better weed.

Hyde had needed to sand the edges off his anxiety more than usual. A number of things weighed on his mind. Not the least of which would be ensuring that Kelso and Fez behaved themselves at this fancy ball and that was followed closely by his attendance. He'd dressed up before for school dances but that had been in the small town of Point Place. There would be far more judging eyes in the room tonight.

He was also worried despite Annette's assurances. The mobster meant business and he'd gone far enough to go through his store trying to find clues about his and Jackie's location. He'd naively been hoping that his name and hers had remained unknown, even if he had seen both their faces. After everything they'd been through, the idea of Jackie getting hurt now made him sick to his stomach.

Which brought him to problem number three. Jackie.

Annette had given them the option of choosing whether they would stay together or be separating. And if Jackie had kept her silence just a second or two longer, Hyde would have said 'keep us together.'

But she had spoken and she'd decided that she needed to consider. He couldn't be too mad about that – god knows he'd been confused about what was happening between them. But he had also known instantly that he'd rather take his chances than let her out of his life.

However, he hadn't been hurt the way Jackie had and so no doubt she had to think about it carefully and he was still uncertain as to whether he should try and influence her decision.

…

Jackie made the last finishing touches on her dress, finally allowing herself to feel excited. Her hair and make-up were subtle but elegant and went perfectly with the dress. She delicately tied the sash around her waist, forming a looping bow in front of her. The rich emerald satin complimented her eyes Jackie noted as she examined her reflection in the mirror. Like the BBQ, Jackie had made the decision to wear another strapless dress, remembering the way Hyde's eyes had roved over her in awe.

She wasn't sure about much these days but she was confident that in this dress she looked amazing. Donna's delighted smile and applause indicated she agreed.

Still, Jackie lingered a beat longer in front of the mirror and twisted her wedding ring. Would this be the last night she had to wear it? If she did decide to go with Hyde would they still be married for their cover? These questions floated uninvited to the forefront of her mind and with concerted effort, Jackie pushed them away.

Donna was clipping back her blonde hair – the Californian sun had already given her shoulders a light pink tinge. She still looked beautiful in a slinky silver number that was reminiscent of the 1940s.

"Eric will have a heart attack when he sees you looking like that," Jackie observed.

Donna grinned widely. "At least he'll have company because I think Hyde will drop dead when he sees you like that."

"Do you think?" Jackie reached up to nervously adjust an earring.

"I know," Donna corrected. "And if that falls through that FBI agent was super hot. Like _super_ hot!"

Jackie responded to her friend's teasing with a gentle shove to the shoulder. She checked the time and realised that the car would be there to pick them up soon. Nancy had outdone herself again and was sending an honest to god limo to collect them. She had been so excited about Jackie's high school friends visiting that she organised it all.

Donna linked arms with Jackie and together they made their way towards the front entrance.

"This will be a hard house to leave," Donna said, still getting used to the sheer lavish nature of the mansion.

"It might be harder to leave other things behind," Jackie mumbled circumspectly.

Donna halted them where they stood. "Are you thinking about saying no to Hyde?"

"I'm thinking about both options," Jackie confessed. "And I don't know which one is right."

Donna tugged Jackie's earring affectionately. "You'll make the right call."

Jackie wished she shared Donna's certainty. They were interrupted by Annette's appearance. The agent was wearing a dress that was slightly shorter than would have been expected for such a formal occasion. But judging from the way the skirt strategically flared out, Jackie suspected that she had a gun strapped to her thigh.

This didn't do much to reassure Jackie that they were safe but reminded herself that Annette would just be erring on the side of caution.

"We'll follow behind you in our car," Annette explained without preamble.

"Nothing says fun like an entourage of law enforcement," Donna quipped.

Annette managed a rueful grin. "We'll try and blend in when we're there. Don't look for us and you'll forget we even exist."

"Doubtful," Jackie disagreed, "but I appreciate the sentiment."

"Have you made up your mind?" Annette asked, lowering her voice.

Jackie shook her head. "Not yet."

"It would be easier to reuse existing covers and IDs," Annette stated innocently, "but it's your life, so your call."

Jackie blinked in confusion. Had Annette been trying to subtly influence Jackie's decision?

"Anyway, we should keep moving," Annette continued as if she'd said nothing at all. "You both look beautiful by the way."

…

Would there ever be a day when the sight of Jackie in a beautiful dress didn't render him speechless?

Unlikely.

Hyde had swallowed twice when he'd first caught sight of Jackie all done up. She could still steal his breath.

The shy smile she shot in his direction made him seriously contemplating shouting at everyone to get out and leave them alone. He would have then carried her right back to the bedroom she'd just exited.

He had his glasses in hand ready to slip on but in an impulsive moment he dropped them on the side table and took a small step away. He wouldn't be using them tonight. If anyone noticed the significant gesture they didn't comment.

The mood was high and electric as compliments threw left, right and centre. Annette tried to give them all a stern talking to about the importance of remembering that Jackie and Hyde were the married couple Melissa and Greg. His friends paid suitable attention but he didn't know if they absorbed the message in its entirety. Well, Eric, Fez and Donna seemed to take it on board.

Kelso was practically breaking his neck trying to ogle all the women at once. Even Annette wasn't immune from a leer. Hyde was so used to her being their responsible adult that he sometimes forgot that she was only in her early thirties and pretty in her own right. Though he predicted all others would fade in comparison to Jackie.

The limo ride was raucous. Annette had barely concealed a groan when she saw the Myers had also sprung for a few bottles of champagne.

"If any of you makes a scene or blows the cover, I'll shoot you." She patted her thigh and walked away where Clyde had the BMW's door open. Hyde caught sight of Carlos who was looking just as good in a suit as Hyde had expected. He was like James Bond but Hyde was feeling more charitable towards the guy since Jackie had barely spared a second glance at the man before clambering into the limo.

"Dude, is she serious?" Fez asked as he reached for the champagne simultaneously.

"Oh yeah," Hyde stated. Annette probably wouldn't shoot any of them, too much paper work, but it didn't hurt to let the threat stand.

They'd be better behaved if they thought Annette would appear from nowhere guns blazing.

"She's reasonably attractive," Kelso mused thoughtfully.

Jackie wrinkled her nose in amusement and caught Hyde's gaze. "She'll shoot you if you hit on her. That I promise."

Kelso sulked a little bit upon hearing that. He tugged at his blue tie and shrugged. "I doubt she'll be able to resist my charms."

"He's going to get shot," Hyde concluded, speaking directly to Jackie. She laughed lightly at his assessment and Hyde experienced a rush of warmth at the sound. Not even Donna nudging Eric knowingly in the corner could ruin that sensation.

…

Jackie grinned with pride as she assessed the summer ball and all its glory. From its twinkle lights to the gorgeous flowers, it looked like a magical land come to life. This combined with the throngs of beautifully dressed people and Jackie could barely contain her glee.

She spotted Dorothy across the crowd looking resplendent in the dress Jackie had chosen for her. She was talking to an elegant man that Jackie guessed was her husband. Too far away and separated by too many people to exchange proper greetings, Dorothy waved in her direction.

Her friends spotted the source of food and wine, making a beeline towards it. Jackie sent them on ahead, just wanting to enjoy this moment for a while longer. Hyde put his hand on her lower back in the way she found most distracting and asked if she wanted him to get her anything.

"A drink?" Jackie requested over the loud music.

"You got it."

Her smile broadened at his consideration, but was short lived when she realised she had to make a decision about whether they would remain together. Additionally she had to find Nancy and politely refuse her offer to invest in Jackie's business. That made her stomach churn with sadness. She had gotten so close to actually creating something she could be proud of but because of timing she would never be able to accept.

Squaring her shoulders, Jackie decided biting the bullet sooner rather than later would be the best course of action and began scanning faces for Nancy.

Before she found her, something small but forceful collided with her middle. Her breath rushing out in a woosh, Jackie looked down to discover that Jenny had wrapped herself around her midriff in a tight hug.

Jenny was wearing the dress they'd chosen together. It was primarily made of black lace but with red ribbon that cinched in around the waist. Jenny had declared it both cool and pretty.

"You're late," Jenny scolded half-heartedly.

Jackie lifted an eyebrow. "I'm not really," she argued but was secretly pleased her absence had been noticed.

"My mum has been looking for you. She wants you two to drink champagne and congratulate each other on how well this all turned out."

"And what do you think of it all?"

Jenny shrugged. "It isn't half bad." She poked her tongue out in Jackie's direction to let her know she was just teasing.

Jackie reached out and tugged the younger girl's ponytail with affection. Jenny was another person she was going to have to say goodbye to. To her horror she could feel tears welling up. She hastily tried to brush them aside before they could be seen but no such luck.

"Are you crying?" Jenny asked, simultaneously concerned and incredulous.

"I'm not crying," Jackie denied, " _You're_ crying!"

Jenny's eyebrows lifted and opened her mouth, probably to tell Jackie she was being ridiculous but she never got a chance to speak.

"It's probably because she looked in the mirror," a cold voice cut across them.

Jackie glanced up to see that Magdalene had swooped in. Her dress was blood red and to Jackie's extreme annoyance, she looked amazing. Didn't make up for her pretty terrible personality unfortunately. Jackie recalled the way she had picked and prodded at her at the BBQ. She forced her spine straight and stared down the older, taller woman as best she could.

"Did some high schooler write that insult for you?" Jackie fired back, crossing her arms and carefully keeping a neutral expression. "I know you aren't very smart but surely you can do better than that."

Jenny smirked at her side, not having to come to her rescue this time. Magdalene's nose wrinkled and recoiled.

"How surprising – somehow I knew you'd behave as crass as you looked."

Jackie shrugged. "Whatever."

That response threw Magdalene who was clearly unfamiliar with the zen philosophy.

"Whatever?"

"Are you deaf? She said whatever," Jenny interjected, rolling her eyes.

"No one asked the vampire child to talk," Magdalene hissed.

Jenny paused for a beat then imitated Jackie's half-shrug. "Whatever."

Jackie wanted to reach out and hug Jenny for easily falling in sync with her approach even if Magdalene's unkind words made her blood boil. It was one thing to insult Jackie, but there was no need to attack a teenager barely taller than a puppy.

"And I'm the crass one? Why don't you pick on someone your own age? Just FYI, that's not me either." Jackie batted her eyelashes at her. Colour rose in Magdalene's cheeks.

"I don't need commentary from the girl who probably picked out her dress from the thrift shop."

Jackie snorted, "Like I care what you say about my dress. I don't think a woman who married a geriatric could be accused of having good eyesight."

Jackie experienced a twinge of guilt then. Not for Magdalene, she was a witch, but for her husband who had never said or done anything mean to Jackie before. She felt bad dragging him into it but Madge deserved to be hit below the belt for her better-than-thou attitude.

Magdalene spluttered out an offended response. "How dare you?"

"Madge, it's a party and this is dull. Run along now," Jackie flicked her fingers in the direction she wanted Magdalene to go.

"You have no power here," Jenny added in a commanding voice.

This was the final straw for Magdalene who stormed off, almost crashing into Hyde, Kelso and Fez who were bringing drinks.

Hyde saw Magdalene's face and turned to Jackie in concern. "Everything all good?" He passed her a glass of champagne.

Jackie nodded with a grin, elation making her giddy. "I took care of it."

Kelso had been watching Magdalene vanish into the crowd. "She was hot! Is she single?"

"Dude!" Jenny exclaimed and shook her head.

…

The dance wasn't half bad as it turned out. There were so many people that it was easy to fade away and become part of a crowd. Aside from a few conversations with Hank, Hyde made a concerted effort to be near Jackie.

He caught her staring at him in contemplation a few times, and he took that to mean that she had yet to make up her mind about whether to stay with him or not. He was tempted to weigh in with his opinion but instead sealed his lips. He had influenced her life enough through his bad decisions. It was her turn to pick the direction she went in. Whether he would be included or not was up to her.

His friends were on their best behaviour too. Fez was sitting at the table with Nancy and her friends, completely charming them. He was in his element, with a champagne glass in hand, telling stories with dramatic flair. Kelso flittered in and out of sight, and Hyde assumed he had taken to trying to woo some of the more attractive ladies there. Hyde was certain that his good looks would eventually make up for the lack of conversation.

He'd caught sight of Carlos floating around amidst the mix of people but he seemed to be primarily concerned with doing his job and hadn't approached Jackie. Which hadn't stopped half the female attendees approaching him. He flirted and conversed but his eyes never stopped scanning faces and the doors in and out of the venue. Hyde tried to muster some anger for the other man but couldn't quite manage it.

Eric and Donna barely left the dance floor, completely returned to the honey moon stage since their reunion. Hyde was pleased to see they'd reconnected while barely missing a beat. He was also envious as hell. Maybe if he was as brave as they were, as prepared to wear his heart on his sleeve, he wouldn't be watching Jackie from the shadows.

Hyde fixed his tie, loosening it around his neck and glanced at Jackie again. She was still without a doubt the most beautiful woman in the room. She lit up from inside and all her sparkle manifested in her grin. He had missed that most about her.

As if sensing his eyes on her, she turned and their gaze locked. The smile became slightly more delicate, like a beautiful carving in glass. There was no fear in her eyes, just apprehension and anticipation in equal measure.

He would never have the words to describe actually how glad he was that she no longer regarded him with dread.

Seizing the moment, Hyde took a step closer and held out his hand. "Do you want to dance?"

"Yes." She accepted his offer without hesitation. Her smaller fingers slid neatly into his waiting palm. The sensation of her skin against his sent a shiver down his spine.

Hyde led her to the dance floor and ignored the way his mind was swirling and his heart was in his throat. All he wanted was to memorise the way she looked there in that moment. Who knew how many more moments they'd have together?

The song changed as they dodged through the numerous people and found a small space that was entirely their own. The music was slower and more intimate.

After a second of awkwardness, which prompted a breathy laugh from Jackie, Hyde placed his hand on Jackie's waist. He expected her to simply place her hands on his shoulders but instead she wrapped her arms around his neck, encouraging him to move so his palm was now resting on her back, winding each around the other.

Jackie tilted her head against his shoulder and he felt her exhale heavily against him. Meanwhile, Hyde couldn't even breathe.

For a long time they didn't talk and simply held on as they swayed on the floor. It wasn't the first time they'd danced together but she hovered against him like something new and precious.

Maybe they would have danced in silence for a while longer but Jackie spotted Kelso talking to that horrible vulture, Magdalene against a wall. Surprisingly she didn't seem to be interested in escaping him.

"What are the odds that she some sort of black widow that will kill him after they mate?"

Jackie's mouth twitched into a rueful smile. "Probably higher than he'd like."

Hyde shook his head and mock sighed. "Being that handsome was always going to get him into trouble."

"If you think he's so handsome, you probably have a shot with him," Jackie teased.

Hyde raised an eyebrow and glanced down at her. "He's not my type."

"What is your type then?"

Hyde pretended to consider it. "I like annoying, bossy chicks."

"Oh you do, do you?"

"Mmhm. I like it when a girl isn't afraid to give me her opinion. Wouldn't hurt if she was tall but wouldn't mind if she was short if she had nice hair and the prettiest eyes I've ever seen."

He couldn't look at her while he spoke. The words were just bubbling up inside of him and spilling forth.

"That's quite a list." She sounded breathless.

"Oh it's not even finished."

"It's not?"

"My type of chick is strong willed, determined and smart. And most of all she believes in me even when I'm too much of a dumb-ass to be worthy of that faith."

Jackie's fingers laced through his hair at the nape of his neck. He desperately wished he had brought his sunglasses to shelter behind but cowardice hadn't served him in the past.

"Why are you saying all these things now?"

Summoning his courage he finally looked down at her. She shifted back so that she could stare back, eyes wide and soft.

"Because I don't know if I'll get another opportunity. You might be gone tomorrow."

"We both get to choose," she pointed out.

"You and I both know that it has to be you," Hyde disagreed sadly. At some point they'd stopped dancing and were just standing there watching each other.

Jackie hesitated before asking, "But if I did want to know your view, what would you say?"

"I'd say do what made _you_ happy."

"Oh," Jackie said quietly and with disappointment. Hyde knew instantly that he'd fucked up. He had been so obsessed with letting Jackie exercise her free will that he was pushing aside what every nerve in his body was screaming at her to do.

Cursing internally and almost trembling from anxiety, Hyde tipped her chin up so that their eyes met once more. "I'd tell you to stay with me. I can't promise much except that I will try really, really hard not to make you regret choosing me."

Jackie didn't respond and Hyde's heart hammered so loudly in his chest that he was sure she would hear it. Then a smile slowly spread across her face. "I was really hoping you'd say that."

She lifted onto her toes in invitation and Hyde, not wanting to be an idiot a second time this evening, bent to kiss her.

…

Jackie had never known silence to feel heavy before but it did now. It closed around her like a cocoon.

Gentle lips were on her neck and rough hands trailed down her shoulders, making her shudder.

"Are you alright?" Hyde's voice behind her had dropped several octaves and the husky quality traced over her skin like a physical sensation.

Jackie nodded wordlessly. Her lips were red and tingling from all the kissing they'd done at the ball. The rest of the evening had flown by in a whirl of laughter and good company. They're managed to tear themselves away from each other but just barely and even then, they were loath to give up contact completely. So at any given time they were touching; fingers lightly brushing, thighs pressed together when they sat, reassuring hands on a lower back.

And when they'd piled into the limo to go home, the others noticeably drunk and loud, Jackie's head was crystal clear.

Hyde had paused to wish her goodnight but Jackie hadn't relinquished her hold on him and tugged him towards her room.

"What about Donna?"

Jackie arched her eyebrow in response. Eric and her best friend had been increasingly devolving into public displays of affection. There was no chance in hell that they wouldn't be finding somewhere private to finish what they started.

"Oh right." Was he nervous?

"I mean, only if you want to," Jackie mumbled softly.

His grip on her had tightened. "Sometimes you say stupid things," he chided lightly with no sting behind his words. In fact they made Jackie's stomach swoop and tighten.

And now he was slowly easing the zipper of her dress down, fingertips following in its wake – gliding over the soft skin of Jackie's back.

Her head fell back as the sensations overwhelmed her. She briefly wished she'd worn a bra but the dress hadn't warranted it.

And as she stood there, naked but for her underwear, Jackie fought the urge to cross her arms across her body. Hyde had seen her like this before but more than a year had passed since and she was somewhat self-conscious to be exposing herself to him again. If only she'd drunk more of the champagne.

The heat in his eyes chased away all her concerns.

"You're perfect," he breathed and then shockingly blushed. He'd never been comfortable with grand sweeping statements of romance. But even while he fidgeted in his discomfort, Jackie could tell he meant every word.

She reached up to cup his face and pulled his down so his lips were slanting over hers. Just the barest flutter at first but then all that tension that had built between them rose like a wave and took over.

Hyde clutched her hips so hard it might have hurt if Jackie wasn't pulling him to her just as forcefully. She was tangled up in his hair as he kissed her like she might disappear if he didn't map every inch of her.

Unable to resist, Jackie nipped lightly at his bottom lip. He was still almost entirely dressed except for the jacket and the tie which had been discarded at some point during the evening. With clumsy hands, Jackie began to unbutton the white shirt he'd looked so handsome in. His blue eyes seared into her, setting her skin on fire with their intensity.

Every part of him was familiar. She knew the way his muscles would tense and pull in her shoulders, that the light dusting of chest hair wasn't enough to be coarse but still enough for Jackie to find delightfully masculine, and all the lean lines and angles of his torso.

"Take a picture, it'll last longer," Hyde suggested in jest. His delivery was slightly hitched all the same.

Jackie smirked, ignored this advice and pushed the shirt over his shoulders. Hyde finally helped, shrugging his arms out and throwing the fabric behind. Then his mouth was on hers again and coherent thought vanished. His thumb was outlining the curve of her chin as her tongue skimmed against his.

With a bold hand enclosing on his belt, Jackie pulled them towards her bed. In a flurry of movement, shoes and belts were discarded.

Jackie was twisted into knots of excitement and apprehension as she stretched out along the bed. She reached for Hyde but to her surprise, instead of joining her, he went to his knees at the foot of the bed. Jackie densely didn't know what he was doing until he dragged her to the edge with her legs basically over his shoulder.

Jackie fell back against the bed awash with anticipation. Gone were the days where Hyde was more sexually experienced than her but there had been a point early in their relationship where he'd gone over the finer points of foreplay. It was something Michael had completely glossed over being largely more interested in what he called the grand finale. At first, Jackie had thought there must have been something wrong because he was going so slow and she'd been scared maybe he was just prolonging it because he didn't find her attractive. But then he'd made her see stars and she realised the opposite was true.

At some point, her underwear had disappeared and god's name came tumbling out of her mouth. Her toes flexed as her body tensed in response to the electricity curling through her.

Hyde might not have been good with words but he found plenty useful ways to let her know how much he desired her. The sheets bunched under Jackie's grasp as she tried to catch her breath. Her eyes were squeezed shut as he overwhelmed her with the practised and familiar use of his tongue.

Jackie swore expressively as the pressure built, her whole body poised on the edge. His fingers pressed into the soft skin of her hips, holding her in place while she twisted beneath him.

And then her words were stolen as was the oxygen in the room. Her heartbeat expanded until every part of her was alive and pulsing. Jackie collapsed, boneless and satiated. Her cheeks were flushed and sweaty. Hyde was smug.

She wanted to scold him for the expression of self-satisfaction but she couldn't speak. He crawled up her body, watching her with hunger.

Jackie found her voice. "Do you want me to…?" She trailed off, knowing he'd understand. Their dynamic in the bedroom had been very reciprocal and Jackie had enjoyed that complete surrender to pleasure, both hers and his.

"I want to say yes but I don't think I'd last."

That confession evoked a sense of pride in her. She was pleased to hear that she could undo him just as completely as he'd undone her.

"Girls _are_ superior in that respect."

His fingers ran the length of her stomach. "No arguments here."

Hyde seemed to be caught up in just looking at her, which was nice but Jackie wanted more. She impatiently pushed at his pants.

Her eagerness made him chuckle and he stilled her efforts by taking her wrist. "I need to go get some protection."

"I'm still on the pill," Jackie informed him.

"Still…"

Rolling her eyes and sighing with exasperation, Jackie rolled off the bed and darted to the ensuite. She came back with a condom.

Hyde stared at it incredulously. "Why do you have that?"

"I'm nothing if not prepared," she told him primly. "Now take off your pants, Steven."

"How could I refuse after such a romantic proposition?" Hyde retorted but he complied, clearly not fazed by his own nudity.

Jackie disregarded his snarky comments – he wouldn't be Hyde without them.

Frantic hands roamed over her body as he pulled her back onto the bed, conversation once again forgotten. He settled between her thighs, face suddenly serious.

"Are you sure?"

While it was tempting to respond with sarcasm, Jackie was sincere instead. "Completely."

It was like being completed again after so long being half-finished. They fit together perfectly, like they'd always meant to. More in sync here than on the dance floor, their bodies shifted and flowed towards each other.

Jackie's nails dug into his back as she moaned into his neck. He pressed kissed against her skin wherever he could reach. She wrapped her legs around his waist, drawing him in deeper, encouraging to go faster.

She was still sensitive from her last orgasm and once he'd found the right angle it wasn't long before Jackie climaxed again, using his blue eyes to keep her tethered.

Hyde's jaw clenched with concentration but from the way his movements became increasingly hurried and disjointed, he wasn't far behind her.

He captured her lips with his own and kissed her furiously as he reached his own peak. He stayed where he was for a long time afterward, both of them unable to do much more than stare and gasp for air.

…

 _He tugged at the collar of his suit in the back of the car. Even with the air conditioner on full blast the muggy air outside was distinctly different to the climate of Chicago._

 _He didn't really enjoy travel but when you get a phone call from the boss, you did what you were told. Prison hadn't diminished his reach much at all. Especially not the piss weak security they used for inmates 'awaiting trial.' Innocent until proven guilty and all. Which would never happened because a phone call had been made and He'd been called to duty._

 _The two goons in the front seat tried to hide their wide eyed excitement as they peered out the window. They'd never so much as been out of state. He was glad they hadn't had to go to Las Vegas, they'd be completely distracted. Not that they were much help now. They were mostly there to provide back-up bullets if He failed. Which hadn't happened yet._

 _Finding an address had been remarkably easy. Stupidly easy but he supposed he owed it to the dumb kids running straight to the Chicago Police HQ. He would never have thought to check there, never would have suspected they'd be_ lax _enough to keep a record of witness protection in an office that anyone with a uniform (stolen or not) could walk into. The FBI wouldn't be shonky enough to do that but thankfully this was a collaborative mission._

 _He would kill Mr Hyde and Ms Burkhart the first opening He had. Then He could head home to the cool._

 **AN: oohhh ominous! I am seriously self-conscious about writing love scenes so please be kind. And please review. It makes everything wonderful.**


	15. Chapter 15

Jackie cracked her eyes open and blinked one, twice, to get her bearings. It was dark in the room still. The roll of thunder overhead had woken her. The sheets were tangled around her waist and she was cold.

Why had she pushed them off? Because she was hot. Because when she'd fallen asleep, Hyde had been curled around her back.

Jackie's heart stopped in her chest for a fraction of a second, in time with the sharp flash of lightening and another crack of thunder, louder than the first. The storm was settling in rather than passing over.

Isolation washed over her until her sleep disorientated brain began processing information. Her hand was heavy against the mattress and while her traitorous mind told her first that she was paralysed, calmness intervened seconds afterwards.

Her fingers were entangled around Hyde's. At some point during the night, he'd rolled slightly away from her and was now sleeping on his back. His free hand was sprawled flat on his stomach but he'd kept possession of her with the other one. Almost as if he didn't want to lose contact even while asleep.

Jackie rubbed at her scratchy eyes and the tension in her chest eased. He wasn't gone. He was right there; breathing, alive and solid. She cursed her panic. More lightning and thunder but it didn't alarm her anymore.

She tugged the sheets up higher around the pair of them as wind lashed the window.

When she lay back down, Hyde had turned his head and was regarding her with open eyes.

"Nightmare?" The question was murmured but concerned.

Jackie considered before shaking her head. She had been woken by the storm, not by dreams.

Hyde made a content noise in the back of his throat and reached for her, drawing her into the circle of his arms. Jackie let him pull her close and tucked herself in against him, resting her head on his chest.

His heart beat was slow but steady and loud against her ear. The drumming reminder of his presence slid through her body, easing her muscles until she had sunk completely into him.

Hyde was asleep again but he still held her tightly. He snored softly and a grin crossed Jackie's face. He hadn't gone anywhere and Jackie realised with amusement that this was the first time they'd shared a bed this large before. He'd gotten lost in the space but not in actuality.

She nuzzled his chest with her nose and felt him twitch in his sleep. Jackie allowed another rueful smile and her own eyes closed.

…

Hyde's shoulder was stiff but his head was mercifully free from pain. There was something to be said for drinking in moderation. Hair tickled his neck and all the memories from last night came flooding back. Something to be said indeed.

The cause for his aching shoulder was still asleep on his chest and while he couldn't move he couldn't find much cause to complain.

Jackie's dark hair was everywhere. The flawless make up from the night before was slightly smeared around her eyes but she was still beautiful. Her lips were pressed lightly into the skin of his chest.

The weather had taken a turn and Hyde guessed this was the famous annual storm that California got. Maybe if he had more interest in watching the news he would know that it was inbound.

He dimly wondered how this would affect their departure. The state might only get one storm a year but it got its money's worth when it did hit. It was a side thought though because wherever he went, it would be with Jackie.

To his surprise he would be able to list quite a few things he would miss about California; Hank, Nancy, the musical opportunities, even the sunshine – but all of that came a distant second to the woman in his arms. He'd made the mistake once of not following her when she left but not a second time.

Right now she was mumbling in her sleep. "That colour doesn't work, Donna!"

He grinned. Even in her dreams she liked telling people what to do. He was just happy it wasn't a nightmare. Her fear had caused an equal reaction in him.

At some point she woke up as well but they lay in silence, happily dozing in each other's company. Hyde lazily swiped his thumb along her arm. The peaceful moment was only broken when her stomach growled.

"Hungry?"

"I don't know what you're talking about! That was your stomach not mine!"

Hyde rolled his eyes in mock exasperation. "Sure."

"A lady's stomach doesn't growl," Jackie said primly, but her lips were still curved into a gentle smile.

"What about women who go to bed with the town bad boy?"

There was a pause. "They may get hungry," Jackie admitted grudgingly.

Chuckling, Hyde helped heave them both into a sitting position. His forehead lined with a thoughtful frown.

"What's wrong?" Jackie asked with concern.

"Just thinking. I'm hungry but if we get up, you're not going to be naked anymore."

"Perve!" Jackie smacked him with the pillow. She got to her feet, dragging the sheet with her as she went. "Nudity privileges have been revoked."

"That's cruel!" Hyde made a half-hearted attempt to steal the sheet away from her but Jackie danced backwards, eye sparkling.

It sometimes mystified him how she managed to be equal parts sexy and playful at the same time. To his surprise, and obvious delight, she dropped the sheet and stood naked before him, hands on hips.

"Actually, this is quite freeing. Maybe I'll just go down to breakfast like this," she suggested innocently.

Hyde couldn't remember words so he just nodded, endorsing her plan.

"You know, downstairs. Where Kelso and Eric and Fez are. Hey, they can all enjoy the show." Her smile turned wicked.

Hyde had scooped up her underwear and flung it at her before she'd finished her sentence.

Her ensuing laugh was victorious. How had he forgotten her potential to be an evil genius? Especially when it was half the reason he loved her.

Loved her. The L word danced through his brain leaving adrenaline and stars in its wake.

He fought to keep his face neutral as Jackie wiggled into something appropriate for breakfast. He'd loved her before and he loved her now. But he wasn't ready to say it. Not yet. They thing between them was beautiful but fragile and he wanted to treat it like glass. He didn't know if he deserved to say those words to her yet either.

So instead of speaking, he got to his feet and kissed her with an intensity that perhaps spoke to what he was thinking.

"You are being suspiciously romantic," Jackie observed but there was no accusation, just contentedness.

"And you smell like sex."

Jackie wrinkled her nose and punched him lightly. "I knew it couldn't last."

He fit his lips sweetly to hers again to balance his teasing. He wasn't ready for words but he was well past inaction.

That kiss left her slightly breathless and blushing. "I better shower off the scent of sin."

"After breakfast. And then I'll help you in there." He draped his arm over her shoulder and enjoyed the warmth that spread from his stomach to his chest.

…

Jackie was starving but the thought of getting into that shower with Hyde made her pause. Luckily he made the decision for them and chose sustenance over sex. And if anything was going to compete with hot, shower sex it was Eleanor's pancakes and bacon, of which there was lots on the table.

Fez, Eric and Donna were already seated while Annette paced tersely in the background, prevented from travelling too far by the cord of the phone she was snapping into.

"It's just rain, what do you mean the roads are closed?" As if to punctuate the point, the wind revved up and thunder cracked loud enough to make Jackie flinch and the lights above to flicker before settling.

Eric had winced at the noise but Jackie suspected it had more to do with the hangover he was nursing rather than fear. Donna had dark circles under her eyes and her blond hair pulled into a messy ponytail.

"Too much free champagne?" she asked lightly as she dropped into a seat across from the couple.

"Shhh shhh," Eric whispered, waving his hand at her. "Not so loud."

Fez tutted at the pair of them. "They cannot hold their alcohol. Meanwhile I am fresh as a dandelion."

"As a daisy," Jackie corrected automatically as she reached for the orange juice. She was relieved that she had not partaken in the drinking to the same extent as her friends.

"As a daisy," Fez echoed and then disconcertingly, leaned forward to sniff at her shoulder.

Hyde shooed him away from her with a glare but Fez's eyebrows had already lifted and his mouth opened to share what he had just discovered.

"Say it and I'll shove a sock in your mouth," Hyde threatened.

Fez's mouth shut with a snap but the smugness didn't dissipate. Despite his request for discretion, Hyde's arm snaked across the back of her chair and he took a sip of her recently poured orange juice.

Eric gestured at both of them with his knife. "So this is happening again?" he asked flatly.

Hyde and Jackie swapped glances before nodding.

"Huh." Eric returned to his food and Donna sipped at her coffee like it had the power to save her life.

Jackie narrowed her eyes. "I expected a bigger reaction honestly."

"Too hungover," Donna grunted.

"Agreed. Maybe later?" Eric offered. He turned to Donna. "Honey, can you make a note to make a big deal about this in about three hours?"

Donna massaged her forehead and nodded. "Big deal in three hours, check. So many questions will be asked. But later."

"I have questions now," Fez piped up.

"Where is Kelso?" Hyde asked suddenly, ignoring Fez.

The other three looked up and around sharply like this hadn't occurred to any of them. In fact the question was enough that it got Annette's attention. She covered the mouthpiece of the phone and asked, "Has anyone seen him today?"

When everyone shook their head, the FBI agent turned a shade of puce before removing her hand and snapping, "I'll have to call you back."

The phone was slammed back onto the hook. "Unbelievable. First this storm and now this!" Annette sounded, as cranky as Jackie had ever heard her. As if in response to her anger, the electricity fizzed and the lights cut. Annette swore fluidly enough to startle even Hyde.

"Why are you so upset about the storm?" Eric asked, his features muted by the sudden gloom of the kitchen. The heavy clouds had transformed daytime into a sort of shadowy twilight.

"I wanted to get you all out of here today but the storms means we'll be stuck here at least another twenty-four hours. And as if that wasn't annoying enough, I have to go look for your friend."

"I'm sure he's alright," Jackie offered hesitantly but couldn't manage to make herself believe that let alone Annette.

"If he's in trouble, he probably got himself into it," Donna suggested, slightly more convincingly.

Before Annette could respond, Kelso was marched into the room by Clyde.

"Did you lose something?" he asked mildly.

Kelso waved happily to the room, oblivious to the drama he caused and apparently still a little drunk. Jackie blew out a breath in relief.

Kelso was wearing nothing but his boxers and his light blue shirt, which had been buttoned unevenly. He had his pants, jacket and tie hanging over an arm. Clyde was gingerly carrying his shoes.

"Thank you, Clyde," Annette said, glowering at Kelso.

Kelso snorted, "Hey your name rhymes with Hyde."

Hyde leaned back in his seat and raised an eyebrow at Kelso's superhuman ability to ignore the atmosphere of the room.

"Clyde and Hyde, sitting in a tree," Kelso continued in a singsong voice. "K.I.S.S.I.N-"

"That's quite enough," Clyde interjected before forcing Kelso into an empty seat. His face remained impassive while Jackie hid her amusement underneath her hand.

"Where did you find him?" Fez asked, on his feet and fussing around Kelso.

"He left last night with Magdalene. When he didn't appear this morning, it was an easy guess."

"Ewww!" Jackie squealed in repulsion. "What were you thinking?"

"About boobies mainly," Kelso admitted around a mouthful of pancakes.

"If you were on the fence about shooting him, I'm supportive of the idea," Hyde muttered out of the corner of his mouth to Annette.

"Don't tempt me!"

"She's evil. _AND_ married," Jackie continued, though Kelso was about as receptive as a brick wall to her complaints.

"Well, now that you're all accounted for. I'm going to the office to see what I can organise to get you out of here. Pack tonight, we'll get you out tomorrow morning."

"What if you can't?" Eric asked.

Annette's expression could have frozen water. "I will. Even if I have to work all night to make it happen." She rounded on Hyde and Jackie. "What did you decide? Splitting up or not?"

Jackie leaned a little into Hyde. "I was just getting in the swing of annoying him so we'll go together."

Annette smiled for the first time in hours. "Finally, some common sense from you lot."

Jackie's face twisted in offence but Annette didn't notice. "Try and behave for Clyde. He does have my permission to shoot you."

With that reassuring tone set, Annette stalked out of the kitchen with Clyde right behind her.

"You know what we have to do while she's gone?" Kelso said casually.

"Pack?" Jackie folded her elbows onto the table and enjoyed the sensation of Hyde's hand pressed against her back. Her thinking had turned to the possibility of that shower.

"No," Kelso scoffed. "We have to throw a massive party!"

…

"This is a terrible idea," Eric assessed quietly as he leaned against the door frame. It was even darker in the basement with the storm having cut the power. Fez was clutching a lit candle close to his chest, the shadows throwing his features into sharp relief. His eyes were darting around wildly and Hyde figured it was only a matter of time before he bolted for the safety of upstairs.

Hyde kind of agreed with Eric. For the most part anyway. But then he would glance into the cellar stocked full of alcohol and felt his commitment waver. He was also struggling with the delicious opportunity of throwing a party in direct contradiction to Annette's request. He liked Annette just fine but she was still an FBI agent and Hyde had a moral obligation to stick it to the man whenever a chance presented itself.

Kelso was gazing into the cellar with the rapture of one newly in love. "I've never seen so much booze in one place," he assessed.

He was sticking to his idea with a determination and certainty that was distinctly un-Kelso like. Maybe he was riding the high of having nailed Magdalene and not having his face eaten off afterwards by that praying mantis.

Eric was so far the only voice of reason. "Just because Annette is gone doesn't mean any of the other agents are going to let you throw this party."

"Clyde might?" Hyde countered, still walking the line between agreeing with Eric and agreeing with Kelso. God help him but he was leaning towards Kelso. Maybe someone had spiked the champagne last night. "We could invite a few people over and claim it is our last chance to say goodbye."

Eric's raised eyebrow was very articulate. "And what about the beefcake?"

"Carlos? We'll just send Jackie in to bat her eyelashes and he'll melt," suggested Fez.

"No pimping out my girlfriend," Hyde objected.

"Girlfriend?" Eric repeated pointedly, crossing his arms.

His little jab was swallowed up by Kelso weighing back into the conversation. "If you're not willing to do what's necessary, then why bother?" He shoved a bottle of wine into Hyde's chest that probably cost more than his car.

It was Kelso's obvious and heavy handed attempt to manipulate him. If he thought he could goad Hyde into siding with him, he had another thing coming.

"I'm not surprised. You've been too cosy with the FBI, you've gone soft."

Hyde stilled. Anger prickled the back of his neck. Maybe Kelso could goad him after all.

"You're a cop, man!" Hyde spat back. Fez eased between the two of them as if worried they might suddenly launch into battle, while Eric shook his head in resignation.

"But a cool one," Kelso countered with a crooked grin. "And I'm attractive so it doesn't really matter."

His point made no sense but Hyde knew that arguing it would make no indent on his confidence.

"Fine," Hyde ground out through gritted teeth. "A _small_ party. Hank, Nancy and a few friends."

"Yes!" Kelso pumped his fist in the air.

…

Clyde's face had zero expression but he managed to convey pretty effectively what he was thinking. Jackie shifted uncomfortably at his side as the agent swept his eyes over the relatively small group of people. Given the lack of electricity, candles were the only source of light they had.

There were ten people max in the room and they had all been cleared by the FBI before this moment but Jackie still anticipated a scolding.

"You wanted to have a party?"

"A gathering," Jackie hastened to clarify. The white sundress she had dragged out of her closet served to make her look younger than she was and she was crossing her fingers it would work in her favour.

The portable radio had been tampered with to find at least one channel not fixated on the weather and music was now echoing throughout the house, almost loud enough to drown out the wind.

Clyde narrowed his eyes and swept the group. The entire Myer family had made an appearance, bringing with them enough food to feed a small army. They thought Jackie and Hyde were just leaving for a month to pursue a business opportunity in Boston but that they would be back. Jackie hadn't worked up the courage to turn down Nancy's offer to fund her business or to say good bye.

"Fine," Clyde agreed abruptly. "But I'm calling in Carlos and Eleanor to help monitor this situation."

Jackie nodded, her frayed nerves easing. She hadn't seen Carlos since the ball the night before, she supposed he'd been out assisting Annette to organise their relocation.

"And I'm cutting it off the second I don't recognise someone."

"Thank you!" Jackie clasped her hands together in gratitude. Not only was she saying goodbye to her new friends, after tomorrow, who knows how long would pass before she would see Donna, Eric, Michael or Fez.

She hastened to join the crowd and fit in neatly under Hyde's outstretched arm. "Everything ok?" he murmured.

"Fine," Jackie said and fixed a vibrant smile to her face.

"Your driver looks tense," Nancy observed sidling up to Jackie, pressing a glass of wine into her hands.

"He takes his job very seriously."

A few more people trickled in the door. People whose name she couldn't remember but recognised from the Myer's or from the ball.

She scanned the room and tried to shake of the sense of guilt. Hyde had been weirdly insistent that they do this which was unusual. Normally he shrugged off all of Kelso's ideas like they were inconsequential but, when Kelso had pitched this one, it had resonated.

Eric and Donna were talking to Hank and some of his friends, whereas Fez was sitting on the ground playing what seemed to be poker with Jenny. He appeared to be losing, though if any of her friends could take being beaten by a teenage girl graciously, it was Fez.

Kelso was nowhere to be seen, until another group of guests made their way in. Jackie seethed when she realised Magdalene was in their number. She looked more casual than she had ever seen her but her skirt was inches higher – her husband was nowhere to be seen.

Just like that, Kelso's intense desire to throw a party clicked.

"Son of a bitch," Hyde groaned, obviously figuring out Kelso's intentions.

Jackie crossed her arms and regarded him. "This is what you get for picking listening to Kelso over shower sex with me."

Hyde's mouth open and closed silently like a gaping fish. "That's not how it went down."

"Sure." Jackie glared at him before flouncing off in the direction of Magdalene.

"I didn't think vampires could enter without an invitation?"

"Jackie!" Kelso hissed in mortification, but Magdalene responded with a grin that was mostly teeth.

"I was invited."

Jackie was vaguely aware the Carlos was hovering just on the edges. She wasn't sure when he'd arrived but he'd clearly sensed the trouble. Jackie didn't think he'd actually shoot Magdalene to defuse the situation but Jackie could still hope.

"It's been rescinded," Jackie shot back, increasingly aware that she was attracting more and more attention.

Magdalene put a hand on her hip and cocked her head. "Correct me if I'm wrong. But don't you have to own a house before you start kicking people out of it?" She tapped at her lip in faux-thoughtfulness. Her innocent expression wasn't fooling anyone and Jackie felt her blood run cold.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Jackie insisted, Kelso's shamefaced squirming confirming Jackie's worst suspicions. Stupid, stupid (and likely drunk) Kelso had been seduced into giving up their secrets.

"Don't you, _Mel_?"

A slender arm wound around her waist. "Magdalene, there's no need for this kind of behaviour." Nancy was at side and Jackie's stomach dropped. It was all going to hell and she was powerless to stop it.

"I think there is. She acts like she's so much better than me but she's just a liar." Sensing blood in the water, Magdalene was going in for the kill.

Nancy shook her head, perplexed. "Liar? What are you talking about? Mel is nothing but nice to people. Well, people who are nice to her."

"Yeah, which you aren't!" a new voice joined in Jackie's defence. Jenny was standing at her mother's side and her withering stare was directed at Magdalene. Jackie's stomach roiled. She was on borrowed time until they realised that Magdalene was telling the truth and the woman they liked was just Jackie Burkhart. Nothing special. And most definitely a liar.

Magdalene laughed and it cut like blades. Carlos, sensing the direction things were heading, tried to intervene. "I think you need to leave!"

"And I think there is lawn that needs mowing," Magdalene dismissed. Carlos' eyes narrowed and Jackie realised that the chances he might shoot her increased.

In the unfolding chaos, she met Hyde's eyes across the room and saw concern etched into his face even as his glasses shielded him. The set of his body told her that it wasn't for himself but rather for her. Jackie far more than him cared about her reputation, about what people thought about her, and that was about to implode.

"Babe-" Kelso began to say, for once realising the mess he'd created.

But Magdalene waved him off with the same nonchalance and disdain that she had directed at Carlos.

"Save it. Your friend has already told me the truth. It was surprisingly easy to get it out of him."

"In my defence, I'm very dumb," Kelso interjected, starting to slink backwards.

"You're not Melissa and Greg. You're not special. You're not even rich."

"What are you on about?" Nancy demanded. Her fingers were digging into Jackie's skin, leaving little half-moons in their wake. Jackie relished the feel of her support because it would be gone soon; gone once she knew how Jackie had misled her.

"They're from Wisconsin. They're duping you all. Probably to con you all out of your money. Her names Jackie and he's Hyde – idiotic name by the way."

"Idiotic face," Hyde snapped back, spreading his hands.

"You're being ridiculous," Hank informed Magdalene sharply. "Tell them, Greg."

Silence fell and neither Hyde nor Jackie had the stomach to defend themselves.

"That's quite enough of you," a proper voice announced. Eleanor, who had managed to fly under everyone's radar, appeared behind Magdalene and grabbed her wrist, twisting it up behind her back.

"Ouch!" Magdalene shrieked but Eleanor ignored her protests and frog-marched her towards the door.

An awkward silence lingered in her wake until Fez, the most unlikely of heroes, came to their rescue. He cranked the volume on the radio and cried, "Who wants margaritas after that crazy bitch?"

That one rallying call was enough for most to dismiss what Magdalene had said and give their attention to the promise of new drinks. Not everyone was so easily distracted.

"Meli- is your name really Jackie?" Nancy's eyes were serious.

She should deny it but she couldn't bring herself to deceive Nancy anymore. "Yes," she said quietly.

"So was everything you told me a lie?" Nancy's voice hitched and that sound slammed like a knife into Jackie's chest.

"I'm so sorry," she stammered. Hank had lifted his eyebrows in shock and opened his mouth to speak but Jackie couldn't hear it. She turned on her heels and bolted for the stairs. Hyde grabbed at her hand but she slipped from his grasp.

"I just want to be alone!"

…

Hyde watched Jackie vanish in a flurry of tears and shame. Her cheeks had bleached themselves of colour as the accusations were levelled at her. His hands were shaking. He hadn't seen Jackie cry in so long that it had been jarring.

He was going to follow her but not before a bit of damage control.

"Get her out of here," he snapped to Eleanor who still had Magdalene in an iron grip despite being a number of years older than her. Eleanor's expression was a cold as the tone of Hyde's voice.

"This is bad," Carlos mumbled to his side. Hyde wanted nothing more than to round on the handsome agent and tell him 'no shit.' But Carlos' dark eyes were introspective and Hyde quickly realised he was talking to himself rather than to anyone. He recognised the agent's faraway look as him kicking into planning mode.

"What's going on?" a voice demanded. Jenny had appeared by his side and was regarding him with solemn eyes.

"You heard," Hyde replied, resisting the urge to snap at the teenager.

"I'm not sure any of us understood," Hank pointed out mildly. Nancy was still standing there in silence.

"Look, the crazy bitch was only half right. We're not Melissa or Greg and we're not rich but we're not here to scam you out of your money. We here in witness protection."

"Witness protection?" Hank repeated loudly.

"Shhh!" Hyde glanced around. The music was loud enough to disguise their conversation and the margaritas were serving enough of a distraction. "Yes, we witnessed a murder and they need us to stand trial."

"So you weren't lying to us to hurt us?" Nancy finally asked.

"Duh, Mom! Weren't you listening? They had to lie, they were in danger."

Hyde could have hugged the tiny girl for her immediate defence of them.

"I knew there was a reason you two were cool. Y'know, for old people."

The urge to hug her relented slightly at that comment. Hyde noticed that Eric and Donna were hovering – they were trying to behave subtly but they were clearly concerned. Hyde reached out to grab Eric's sleeve and dragged him into the circle of conversation.

"Foreman, you explain. I need to go check on Jackie."

Leaving the backstory in the capable hands of his best friend he made for the stairs. At the base he was intercepted by Anette. He had no idea when she'd returned but she was apocalyptic with fury. Anyone who didn't know her would be hard pressed to tell but her lips had sealed into a thin line and her knuckles were white with tension.

"We need to go," she stated without preamble.

"I know. I'll get her."

"We'll put you up in a hotel until the weather breaks and then we're gone."

Hyde nodded and ran upstairs. His heart pounded remembering the broken look in Jackie's eyes. He found Kelso at a shut door. He was pleading his apologies through the wood. Part of Hyde was tempted to throw him down the stairs, the other part of him knew that Kelso wasn't really responsible for his actions. He was an idiot with the best of intentions but powerless when it came to a pretty face.

"She won't even say anything," Kelso whined at Hyde when he approached.

"Cause you messed up, moron," Hyde growled.

"Don't hit me!" Kelso threw up his hands in pre-emptive defence. Hyde rolled his eyes and merely shoved him out of the way.

"Go downstairs and help Annette or Carlos with whatever they need."

Kelso did what he was told for once and loped off. It was likely he would get underfoot more than help but frankly Hyde didn't want him getting in the way of him trying to coax Jackie out.

He rapped gently on the door. "Jackie?"

There was silence on the other side. He pressed his forehead to the door and tried to think. He was no good with words but he needed them right now.

"Jackie, you need to come out. No one is mad at you. Nancy and Hank, they understand."

There was no answer and his chest tightened.

"Please, babe – come out. I'm worried." The emotion of this plea was evident even to himself. Warmth stirred inside him when even this didn't get a response. He could understand why she was mad at Kelso and the situation but that didn't mean she had to shut him out.

Reckless and suddenly annoyed, Hyde said, "I'm coming in."

The door wasn't locked and opened easily. The room was dark – the power outage meant no lights, no lamps.

"Jackie, why are you ignoring me?" he demanded, shutting the door behind him to give them privacy.

"Hyde, go!" her voice was strangled, not just upset but panicked. Her fear sent a chill down his spine.

Hyde blinked so his eyes would adjust.

Jackie was seated on the bed with a gun pressed to the side of her head. Her eyes were wide enough that they glowed white.

"You really should have left her alone," the man drawled in a thick Russian accent.

Hyde's hands raised in the air automatically and he tried to stand non-threateningly. "Let her go."

Jackie was sitting so still it was like she was frozen.

The man tutted. "I can't do that. Boss wants you dead."

"I'm the one who saw his face," Hyde insisted. "She didn't see anything."

"Nice try, Mr Hyde." But he sounded uncertain. Seemed that even a hardened mob killer had issues pointing a gun at a woman. With her big blue eyes and petite frame, Jackie looked even younger than her years. Hyde knew she more than made up for her size with attitude and wits but right now he was thankful that she looked so vulnerable.

"There are half a dozen FBI agents downstairs. They'll be up here soon enough."

"I can kill quick," the man said with a shrug, but his eyes flicked behind Hyde.

"And you'll be dead too."

The man narrowed his eyes but didn't respond. Hyde pushed his luck.

"Let her go and I'll come with you. You can use me as a human shield. I'm guessing Victor doesn't pay you enough to die for him."

"You would still have to die."

The casual way the man said this was surreal. Like he was telling Hyde that he had to brush his teeth or take the trash out. So matter of fact.

"I don't care."

"Steven, no!" Jackie interjected. "I won't let you."

"Sorry, Jackie. You don't get to tell me what to do."

He couldn't bring himself to meet her eyes. He didn't want to see what she was thinking, what she was feeling. His whole attention was focused on the gun in the room.

The man glanced from one hostage to the other, he was inexplicably amused. "You must love her very much if you're willing to die for her."

"So we have a deal?" Hyde ground out.

"Why not? Swap places but slowly. I will shoot you both instead."

Hyde took a tentative step forward, Jackie didn't move.

"C'mon Jackie. I need you to come here," he mumbled urgently to her.

She got shakily to her feet but showed no signs of moving. He laid gentle hands on her shoulder and pushed her away from him. The whole time she shook her head, her mouth forming the word 'no' over and over again.

But finally she was by the door, far enough away to have a fighting chance and relief swamped him. Whatever happened, she would be ok. Tears were streaming quietly down her face.

"I'll go with you n-" Hyde's words were cut off when the door flew open. Clyde and Annette were both there with their weapons drawn.

"Drop the gun," Annette commanded.

Time slowed. Hyde's brain knew that man didn't drop the gun; that it was pointed at his head now, but his body couldn't react. He was rooted to the spot. A small body streaked in front of him, crying out as it went, before colliding with their assailant.

The gun went off. Hyde had forgotten how loud guns could be, especially if you were standing this close to one. But his ringing ears and pounding head assured him that he was at least alive.

Two more gunshots followed.

Multiple gunshots and two bodies on the ground.

Every part of Hyde cracked and shattered when he realised Jackie was one of them. She was so small. He fell to his knees at her side at the same time Annette did.

"Gunshot wound to the arm," she was saying into a radio. "Request medical assistance."

Hyde didn't know how she sounded so calm when his brain couldn't see past Jackie's closed eyes, her blood everywhere.

Then Annette grabbed his hands and shoved them over the bullet hole. "Apply pressure."

Numbly, he did as he was told while his mind frantically tried to reassure him. She got hit in the arm; that was fine, people survived that kind of shit all the time. But why wasn't she moving?


	16. Chapter 16

A torrent of curse words streamed through Jackie's brain but her whole body seized in agony cutting them off from exiting her mouth. She could hear Hyde's voice, blurred by the ringing of her ears.

It was strange. It hadn't hurt at first. She had noticed how loud the shot was and the relief that Hyde was still standing. Then her body had sounded the alarm. Shock followed close behind, her eyes squeezing shut as if trying to pretend she hadn't been hit.

Pressure on the wound forced her eyes open and she hissed at the pain.

"I'm sorry," Hyde was saying. In fact, he seemed stuck on repeat, only saying those words.

Jackie wanted to reassure him that it wasn't his fault, not even a little bit. Instead when she opened her mouth all she could manage was, "ow!"

"I know, babe. Help's coming and Annette's here."

Jackie's vision was so blurry and she was exhausted, all her limbs weighted. She used Hyde's frantic eyes as an anchor. They were clouded with worry but the sharp, familiar blue grounded her.

"Is my dress ruined?" she mumbled.

"No, no! It looks great," Hyde rambled, tripping over his words. "When is that god damn ambulance going to be here?"

"Liar," Jackie retorted and tried to punch him in the shoulder. Her arms didn't move.

"It'll be here soon," Annette reassured them both. "The pressure will stop the bleeding, just keep her talking."

"Never had to try too hard for that," Hyde joked weakly.

Jackie narrowed her eyes, dimly registering the insult. The pain wasn't as bad now. In fact she almost felt like she was floating.

"Shut up. I'm mad at you."

"Oh yeah, why's that?" His calm tone trembled. She must look terrible if he sounded like that.

"Putting yourself in danger like that for me."

"I had to," Hyde said distantly.

"It was dumb. Kelso level dumb." Her words slurred but Hyde looked offended so that was good.

"I wasn't being dumb," Hyde countered evenly.

"What were you doing?" Her eyelids were so heavy and kept dropping, flickering Hyde in and out of sight.

"What someone who loves you is supposed to do."

…

The confession was out before he could think. Annette studiously focused on checking the assassins pulse and trying to give them the illusion of privacy.

His throat was tight and the silence was heavy. Jackie hadn't responded. In fact she wasn't talking.

"Annette!" He was panicking now but Jackie was frighteningly still. Annette rush to his side, fingers pressing to her pulse.

"She's passed out," Annette assessed. "Her pulse is steady. People don't die from getting shot in the arm."

Hyde would have been reassured by her confidence if she didn't sound so ragged.

Paramedics burst into the room and everything exploded into organised chaos. There were police everywhere.

Everyone in a uniform seemed to know exactly what they were doing whereas Hyde's world was rapidly imploding.

He was forced away from Jackie as the emergency response tended to her. Fez had materialised at some point and was clutching at Hyde's elbow, frantically saying that she would be alright. Hyde didn't know if he was trying to convince himself or Hyde. He was too stunned to shake off his friend's hands and honestly found them comforting rather than clingy right now.

His own were covered in Jackie's blood which had turned tacky and sticky.

She was so tiny they got her onto the stretcher with little to no effort. Hyde followed helplessly in their wake. The guests at the party were as quiet as if this was a funeral and he wanted to scream at them that she wasn't dead, that she was going to be fine.

One of the paramedics tried to stop him from following her into the ambulance, placing a hand on his chest and asking, "Are you family?"

Hyde wanted to break every bone he could get a hold of.

"Yes," Annette answered instead, averting an incident. "He's family. Let him go. We'll meet you at the hospital."

Hyde clambered in behind them, rage deflating out of him almost as quickly as it had come. The flashing red and blue lights of the emergency vehicles cut sharply across the faces waiting behind. The blue made Donna paler than usual, almost like a ghost. The red threw Carlos' handsome features into shadow – he looked murderous. For once Hyde was completely on the same page as the FBI agent.

Hyde sat on Jackie's uninjured side and gently laced his fingers through hers. He took deep steadying breaths in an attempt to stave off the looming spiral into madness.

A million questions burned at him. If he'd followed her immediately, would this have happened? If he had ignored Kelso's requests to throw a party, would Jackie have gotten hurt?

A part of him that was still reasonable knew that the dead man would have found a way to get at them regardless. This had been set in motion way back when his store had been ransacked. As tempting as it was to lash out and blame Kelso for everything, it wasn't right and Jackie wouldn't want that.

The man responsible for all of this was sitting in a jail cell and if Hyde had anything to do with it, he'd stay there for a long fucking time.

…

It took a few tries before Jackie could open her eyes. The overwhelming white was harsh and Jackie blinked rapidly. It was fairly quiet except for muffled voices, constant footsteps and the steady beep of a machine. Twisting slightly, Jackie gauged the cause of the beep was a heart monitor. The movement twinged her arm bringing everything rushing back.

She'd been shot. The fact she wasn't really in pain probably meant that bag of clear fluids hanging above her head was pain killers. There were black holes in her memory. She could recall jumping in between Hyde and the gun but not much after that.

Someone cleared their throat from the door. It was Annette.

"How are you feeling?" she asked softly.

"Groggy," Jackie confessed. "Is Steven ok?"

'He's fine." Annette gestured with her chin. Jackie tentatively turned again and spotted the figure slumped in the chair at her bedside. Hyde's chin was on his chest, his legs sprawled untidily in front of him. He was asleep.

"Wouldn't leave your side."

Relief flooded her chest. They were both alive and he was right there. Pale and scruffy but unhurt.

"What happened?" Jackie asked, careful to keep her voice low so as not to disturb Hyde's sleep.

"A hit man tried to take you out," Annette assessed flatly.

"I'm flattered."

Annette snorted. "He's dead and you're not. You can feel whatever you want."

"How long do I have to stay in here?"

"A doctor should really talk to you…"

"Please, Annette."

Annette blew out a sigh. "You're going to be fine, let me start with that. And if you're feeling up to it, you only have to stay at hospital overnight. But the bullet went through muscle so you'll have to wear a sling for a few weeks and likely follow that up with physical therapy."

Jackie processed that information. Not great, not terrible.

"Will you be relocating us?"

"That's actually some good news. There is plenty of evidence linking that thug to Victor Ivanov and too many witnesses for him to kill us all. The Bureau actually thinks it would be perfectly safe to go back to Wisconsin though they will insist on a police presence at your house until the trial is over. We've submitted the paperwork to get that expedited in light of everything that has happened."

"I get to go home?" Jackie echoed not quite believing it.

"Sooner rather than later if you're up to it. I've had someone on the phone called Kitty Foreman threatening to drive right here if she couldn't see you herself in 48 hours. She caused enough of a fuss that we'll be flying you back."

Jackie could just imagine how Kitty had behaved on the phone. It was enough to bring a weary smile to her face.

"You don't look as pleased as I thought you would," Annette observed slowly.

"Pain meds," Jackie suggested, possibly too quickly.

"Uhhuh?" Annette raised an eyebrow. "I've spent a fair bit of time with you recently. I know your face, Jackie."

Jackie's shoulders slumped lower in the bed. "What if I don't want to go home?"

"Why wouldn't you want to go home?"

"Because what if it's not the same there? What if it breaks the spell?"

"I'm not following you, Jackie." Annette folded her arms across her chest.

"Steven and I were so good here but when we go back, that's it. We're back to our real lives."

"I really don't think that will change anything," Annette tried to say gently.

Jackie shook her head. "You don't know what we were like there. Angry and broken, and so mean to each other!"

Annette's forehead wrinkled in confusion. "How much do you remember after you got shot?"

"Not much, why?"

"He was really scared that you would die."

Jackie's heart was thumping in her chest. How could she explain her fear to Annette without sounding crazy? "I know he cares about me but how can we make it work this time? When we're back to being just Jackie and Steven? What if he still doesn't see a future for us?"

"I'm afraid I don't have the answers for you," Annette said softly.

"And I'm afraid that what we feel might not be enough."

…

Hyde heard the last part of the conversation and gritted his teeth in an effort to feign sleep and not snap.

Not only did Jackie not even remember his profession of love but she was beginning to question everything between them. She'd just had an incredibly traumatic experience, he tried to remind himself. She wasn't thinking straight.

Or maybe reality had finally caught up with them and he'd been found wanting.

He waited until she fell asleep again before carefully creeping out of the room. His nerves were frayed to the point where even a joint couldn't soothe them.

Clyde came and collected him from the hospital and took him to the hotel where the rest of his friends were staying. They bombarded Hyde with questions about how Jackie was doing which he tried to answer with a neutral face.

When Eric asked him what was wrong he lied and claimed he was tired. Foreman's expression said he didn't believe him but thankfully he didn't press the matter. He was too wrapped up with the fact that by now Jackie would have woken again but she hadn't asked for him. He was at a loss. He'd bared his emotions to her, told her he wanted her and that plan had still backfired in his face. He was back to square one with her.

Jackie was well enough to fly the next day though the doctors plied her with pain pills and sedatives, so even if Hyde had summoned enough courage to act on a plan he hadn't yet devised, she was too out of it to engage in conversation.

She'd clung to Donna's arm on her way on to the plane and pulled her into the seat next to her. Donna had obliged but shot confused looks at both Hyde and Eric.

"Still wanna say you're tired?" Eric had needled.

"I don't want to talk about it," Hyde had snapped back and sunk low in his chair. Annette and their FBI entourage would get them safely back to Point Place and that would be that. Though Annette had promised they would only be a phone call away if they had any concerns or even if they wanted to catch up. And there was always the impending trial to consider.

Their arrival into Madison airport was greeted with much fanfare. Hyde spotted W.B. first, standing about a foot taller and wearing more colour than anyone in a hundred meter radius. He rushed to Hyde with his arms outstretched but was beaten by Kitty Foreman who was faster despite her short legs. She wrapped herself around his midriff and Hyde was embarrassed to notice he breathed a little easier in her arms.

He'd missed Kitty and Red who was just behind his wife. "For god's sake Kitty, stop making such a scene and let the boy breathe!"

Kitty's laugh was tinged with tears but she released Hyde to turn her attention to the other returnees.

"I'm glad you're back, she's been driving me half mad with you gone," Red muttered out of the corner of his mouth, which was his own unique way of saying he'd missed Hyde and was relieved to see he was safe.

W.B. managed to embrace him next, squeezing his shoulders tightly. "I know I got to see you but I'm just damned pleased you're all ok."

"Thanks, dad. It's good to be back."

W.B. ruffled his hair affectionately. "You scared us all half to death when we heard about Jackie. Especially when I saw how close you two had gotten."

"Not that close."

W.B.s smile dimmed around the edges. "You not as 'close' as I thought then?"

"Can we not talk about it right now?" he pleaded hoarsely.

W.B. nodded. "Fine, not right now. But soon."

Hyde accepted that, he could buy more time later.

One of the more surprising members of the welcome party was Jackie's mother Pam. She had a few more lines around her eyes than Hyde remembered and her mouth was pinched into a thin line as she looked at Jackie's injury.

"You'll have to move back home so I can take care of you," she was saying while stroking her daughter's hair as if to reassure herself that Jackie was there and alive. She was genuinely and sincerely concerned for Jackie. Which Hyde spitefully thought 'too little, too late' but kept to himself because he knew how much this would mean for Jackie.

There were police cars waiting on hand to take them all home and there was a moment of awkwardness when he found himself briefly alone with Jackie. He was hiding behind his shades because he knew one glance into his eyes would reveal the truth; that he was dying inside.

"How're you feeling?" he asked to fill the silence.

"Alright. Bit sore." She spoke to the ground and it made him want to shout. How had his happiness been snatched away with nothing more than the pulling of a trigger?

What was even left to him to make her stay?

"So you'll stay with your mom?" he followed up. He wanted to run away but never let this conversation end.

"Yeah. I need some time to rest."

"Can I do anything?" Adrenaline was kicking in like he was preparing for a fight.

"I think I just want to be alone for a while."

That was it, the death knell of their relationship. He had never had much time for songs that spoke of dying from a broken heart. Not until he understood them in acute detail. It was like a knife to the chest.

Annette would have told him to stand his ground. Eric and Donna? Probably the same advice, but he was so weakened by the last few days he crumbled under her request for solitude. He watched her leave in the car with Pam without uttering another word.

…

Donna was pacing her room and examining the flowers that were on nearly every flat surface while Jackie sat on her bed surrounded by college acceptances.

"How do you still keep getting flowers?" Donn queried. "You were shot almost three weeks ago."

Jackie shrugged and that didn't cause her as much pain as it had even a few days ago. She'd stopped taking the pain killers about a week ago, not liking the way they made her head all fuzzy.

"And that has to be the quickest turn around on college acceptances ever!"

"I guess when you get a letter of recommendation from an FBI agent it goes a long way to getting you accepted," Jackie surmised, moving them around in front of her in the hopes that it would help her make a decision. There were at least six very good universities in her pile and three had offered her a scholarship. Unfortunately all the institutions offering scholarships meant travelling to another state. After getting shot, not much scared Jackie any more but a few things remained on the list. Moving across the country alone was on there. Right under finally having a talk with a very certain someone.

Jackie ran her fingers over the letter of acceptance from the University of Southern California which had offered her a full academic scholarship to study business.

"Who sent the roses?"

"Carlos," Jackie answered while keeping her attention on the letter. She'd gotten those two days ago. It had wished her a speedy recovery and in the bottom corner the start of a phone number had been scribbled out.

Jackie was somewhat relieved. She would love to be friends with Carlos, he was intelligent and kind, but frankly she'd barely untangled her feelings for Hyde, she didn't want have to field a move made on her by Carlos.

"Can I have him if you're not interested?" Donna flopped on the bed and disturbed the pile of letters.

"What about Eric?"

"Meh." Donna grinned at her friend, clearly just teasing.

Jackie rolled her eyes and swatted at her friend with a letter.

"Have you talked to Hyde yet?"

Jackie bit her lip and didn't answer.

Donna sighed and twisted onto her stomach so she could fix Jackie with a glare. "I don't understand what happened between you two?"

"What do you mean?"

Donna scoffed. "Don't play coy. I saw you that last morning in Beverly Hills, you were glowing. I don't think I've ever seen you so happy!"

"Rose tinted glasses," Jackie dismissed.

"God you two are the worst. You're in denial and he's skulking around like an extra from Night of the Living Dead."

"He is?" Jackie asked and then cursed her obvious interest.

"You know what? No," Donna said waving her finger at her friend. "If you want to know how he is, you have to go talk to him."

"But-"

"But nothing, you're both being ridiculous and I have better things to do with my time then answer veiled questions about how you are."

"He's asking about me?"

"I said no, midget!"

"Ugh," Jackie cried in frustration. "You're so pushy, Donna."

The other girl flashed her a bright smile. "I know."

"I'm just not sure what he wants now that we're back in the real world. It is increasingly likely I'm leaving the state. _Again_. Will he want to come with me? Because I'm not giving up this opportunity." Jackie waved her acceptance letter in Donna's face for emphasis.

"You won't know unless you ask him," Donna pointed out a little too reasonably for Jackie's liking. She hated when Donna was right.

…

Hyde was sitting on the couch with his feet up on the coffee table in front of him. It was the middle of the day and he hadn't gone into work. Hell, he hadn't even put on pants. He'd smoked a joint but that was the extent of his achievements today.

He'd told W.B. he needed some time off so his father had made sure the store was looked after and told him to take the time he needed. Hyde suspected his father had probably thought he'd meant a day or two, maybe a week; not three weeks. He'd caught a number of whispered conversation between his father and his foster parents. They were clearly worried about his inaction.

Kitty had been fluttering around anxiously, W.B. had 'casually' discussed helping him find his own place, and Red had snarled at him once or twice to get his act together but even that had ceased after about two weeks. He still heard their not-so-secret discussions about their concerns but at least they were leaving him to his misery.

Footsteps sounded on the stairs and that was unexpected enough for Hyde to tilt his head in mild curiosity. Fez, Eric and Kelso were all at work. To Hyde's surprise, Annette materialised in the room.

He squinted at her. "Are you really here or did I just smoke some wicked good pot?"

Annette narrowed her eyes and shot him with a withering glare. "I wish I was a hallucination. Then I wouldn't have to smell this basement. Why aren't you wearing pants?"

"Ahhh mean. That's the agent Godfrey I know and love."

"Have you showered at all since I last saw you?"

"Can't remember," Hyde replied and reached for a beer he'd opened the night before and hadn't finished. It was warm and gross but he didn't care.

"This is pathetic, Hyde, even for you."

"Harsh!"

"No. Harsh is telling you that you're completely fucking up your chances with Jackie. You're going to lose her and you're just sitting there."

That was forceful enough to rattle through the pleasant haze of intoxication he'd built around himself. Just Jackie's name was enough to make his chest ache.

"This is what she wants."

Annette groaned loudly. "You. Are. So. Stupid!"

"It's what she said. She didn't know if she wanted a future with me."

Annette's mouth twisted in disdain and before he could stop her, she reached out and snatched the beer he was cradling. She ignored his protests and dumped it down the drain.

"Why do you care?" he demanded, not at all enjoying the way she was forcing him to think about Jackie.

"Get your shit together," she snapped at him, sounding eerily like Red. "You were obviously eavesdropping but you clearly didn't listen to a word she said."

"I heard just fine."

"She said she wasn't sure if there was a future between you, not that she didn't want one. She was worried that going back here would make you act… well, like this probably."

"No that's not right." It couldn't be right. But it kick started his brain.

"She thought you'd go back to old habits and I tried to tell her that wouldn't happen. Well what do you know, she was right."

Hyde flinched. He was receiving a dressing down to rival what Red could deliver when he was mad. And wasn't sure he didn't deserve it.

Was Annette correct? Did Jackie still want him? Was she waiting for him to prove he was serious about her?

Was she waiting for him and he was just _sitting there_ like a decaying fool? His shoulders stiffened.

"Ah there's the Hyde that might actually be good enough for Jackie," Annette cheered and clapped her hands.

"Are you messing with me?"

Annette spread her hands in frustration. "I am an FBI agent, I do not have the time to involve myself in the love life of teenagers."

"Then why are you here?"

Annette jammed her index finger hard into his chest. "I told you – you're fucking it up."

Hyde staggered to his feet. His high was draining away quickly, scared into retreat by Annette's steely stare. "Ok but what do I do to fix this?"

Annette's expression softened into a smile. "You know what you have to do, you don't need to hear it from me."

Hyde nodded absently, mind already turning, and Annette started up the stairs before stopping abruptly. "Just one piece of advice."

"Yeah?"

"Please shower."

Hyde barked out a laugh, which sounded weird in the empty basement. Surely he didn't smell that bad but a quick sniff revealed that he smelt worse than a corpse. Maybe Annette knew what she was on about after all.

He was towelling his hair dry when he received his second visit of the day. Kitty called down and told him he had a guest in the kitchen.

"Jesus Christ, did Annette send you too?"

Nancy Meyer jumped at his abrupt version of a greeting and spilled her coffee. "The FBI agent?" she asked hesitantly.

"She was here just an hour ago," Hyde clarified, guessing that these visits had nothing to do with each other after all.

Kitty scolded him for his lack of manners. "Steven, you need to be more polite, this lovely woman came all the way from California."

His foster mother shoved him into a chair and put a cup of coffee in front of him. It might have been his imagination but he was pretty certain Kitty smelt him too and smiled when she caught the scent of shampoo and shaving cream. It made him wince; he must have been a mess.

Nancy patiently waited for him to settle. She was sitting there in designer clothes that cost more than the furniture in the Foreman house. Which explained why Kitty was so skittish. She felt uncomfortable around wealthy people. But Nancy Meyer was kindness personified and she engaged her host until Hyde was ready to talk.

"Thank you for this coffee, Mrs Foreman. It is exactly what I need after the trip."

Kitty blushed under the compliment. "I just wish I could have offered you something fancier."

"Caffeine is a godsend," Nancy insisted. "You've resurrected me, I assure you."

Kitty tittered, embarrassed. "If you're here for very long, we'll have to have you over for dinner."

"I anticipate being here for a few days at least. I'd so enjoy a home cooked meal over the room service of my hotel."

Hyde had no doubt Nancy was staying in the nicest hotel Point Place had to offer and could order lobster on call but he was grateful for her easy exchange with Kitty. Especially when she followed up with "they gave me complementary bottle of the loveliest wine. It would be criminal not to share it with you after your hospitality."

Kitty practically shone with delight. Hyde cleared his throat, suspecting that if he let them, Nancy would never get to real reason why she was here.

"Of course. I'll leave you to catch up." Kitty almost bowed out of the room causing Hyde to chuckle with affectionate amusement.

"Your mother is very nice," Nancy observed.

Hyde didn't bother to clarify his exact relationship with Kitty. She had been his mother in all the ways that mattered.

"It's nice to see you, Nance, so don't take this the wrong way. But what are you doing here?"

Colour blossomed across Nancy's cheeks. "Honestly, I came to see Me- Jackie. I came to talk to Jackie."

"She's not here," Hyde said bluntly. He was hearing her name way too damn much today but maybe it was what he needed.

"I know. I asked W.B. where to find you, once Hank realised he actually knew you both. I thought I'd find her here too."

Hyde must have been in the mood for a bit of torture because even though he already knew the answer he still asked, "why?"

Nancy blinked at him slowly. "Because I assumed you were married."

Hyde folded his arms defensively across his body. "Nope. We had to pretend to be so they'd let us stay at that stupid, expensive commune with the guards."

His attitude didn't rattle Nancy any. "You two are very good actors," she noted mildly. "You certainly tricked me into thinking you cared about her."

"I do." It tumbled out of his mouth before he could stop himself. Hyde grimaced. The last few months had affected him more than he knew. Normally he was perfectly capable of pretending he had no emotions.

"So you are together then?"

"No." His response sounded small even to him.

"Why not?" Nancy leaned forward.

"Are you _sure_ you and Annette didn't cooperate on this whole 'remind Hyde he is an idiot' thing?"

Nancy grinned at him. "I promise. Though it sounds like people who have seen you together are of the same mind and think you should be a couple."

Hyde glowered, more annoyed that they were correct than that they were messing in his private life.

"It's possible you guys are right," he spat out.

"Do you have a plan?"

Just like that, Hyde _did_ have a plan. It terrified him but not as much as losing Jackie all over again.

"Yes, actually. And I need your help."

…

Jackie eased her arm back into the sling. She was beginning to hate the stupid thing. She just wanted to be able to move around like normal. Her physical therapist had told her as they wrapped up their appointment that she could remove it for short periods of time but to take it easy. It would also restore some of her independence. Jackie never thought she'd say this but she was finding her mother just too attentive lately. Jackie wished Pam would be inflicted with another bout of wanderlust and head off to for a month or two and give Jackie some breathing space. Between her and the cops perpetually placed outside her home while they waited for the trial, Jackie was smothered.

Almost every time she turned around Pam was there offering her help. It was incredibly well-meaning of her but there was nothing like being constantly surrounded by people to reinforce how god damn lonely she sometimes felt. Because it was never the person she wanted it to be.

And part of that was on her as Donna had so astutely pointed out. Her heart longed for Hyde but her stupid head wouldn't get out of the way. She just couldn't bring herself to go to him and lay those cards on the table. She was too scared he'd reject her, make her cry – and she'd promised he would never make her cry again.

So instead she suffered. Which as Donna had so helpfully highlighted, was ludicrous too.

"Only you could make a sling look pretty," a voice noted from behind.

At first Jackie could only see flowers but they were quickly lowered to reveal Nancy. Jackie squealed and stepped forward to hug her friend but caught herself. She hadn't spoken to Nancy since she'd discovered Jackie was nothing but a lie.

Nancy tutted low in her throat and swept her into an embrace so warm tears immediately sprung to Jackie's eyes. Realising that people in the rehab wing of the hospital were beginning to stare, Jackie reluctantly released her friend.

"These are for you," Nancy told her thickly, swiping at her eyes and handing her the flowers. "The girls all signed the card."

"Thank you," Jackie breathed. "Nancy, I left before I got to say sorry to you."

Nancy waved it off. "W.B. explained everything to us. You have no reason to say sorry. You had no choice."

"I can't tell you how many times I wanted to tell you!"

Nancy reached out and tenderly tucked some hair behind Jackie's ear. "I know, sweetheart. It's all forgotten."

"How did you find me here?" Jackie asked, clutching the beautiful flowers close.

"I went to your young man's house."

Jackie swallowed. "He's not my young man."

"I know that now."

"How… how was he?"

"Forlorn."

Jackie's stomach clenched – god she missed him. "Oh."

"But I didn't come to discuss how he's pining away for you. I want to talk about how I'm pining for you."

Jackie laughed at Nancy's melodramatic phrasing. "What did you want to talk about?"

"You never got back to me about my offer of a business partnership."

Jackie froze and stared at Nancy like a deer in headlights. "I assumed the offer wasn't there anymore."

"I'm still interested if you are."

"But I was dishonest," Jackie stuttered.

"Sweetheart, you can't fake good taste. So I have to assume that you were as truthful with me as you could be. Do you still want to start a personal shopping business?"

"More than ever," Jackie admitted.

Nancy beamed at her. "Perfect. Then it's settled."

"Wait! Just like that?"

"Just like that. I'd still like you to go to university first if you remain committed to that course. Business degree if I recall."

Jackie nodded wordlessly, thrilled beyond words.

"Then we make it happen."

"Nancy, you're being so kind to me despite everything." Jackie could scarcely let herself believe this was happening.

"What are friends for?"

"So we're friends?" Jackie pressed, heart in her mouth.

Nancy held out her hand suddenly. "Hi, I'm Nancy Meyer. I'd love to go into business with you and be your friend."

Jackie reached out with her own uninjured arm and clasped the offered hand. "Jackie Burkhart. Very pleased to meet you."

"How about you go home, change into something divine and I'll send a car for you in say an hour? I have a bottle of wine that would be criminal to keep for myself."

Jackie could have been walking on clouds as she made her way home. This was everything she'd ever wanted. There was only one thing missing. Hyde.

Jackie paused with her lipstick mere inches away from her mouth. What was she doing? She knew what she wanted! She wanted to go to college. She wanted to go into business with Nancy Meyer. And she wanted Steven Hyde.

He was a scruffy idiot but she knew that and she wanted him all the same. Jackie cursed her own absurdity. She knew Hyde better than he knew himself – he wasn't one for grand gestures or declarations and she'd created a scenario where the only way he could have her was if he defied every one of his natural inclinations.

With renewed determination she finished her lipstick. She looked fantastic, which was ideal since when she was done with Nancy, she was going straight round to tell Hyde how much she loved him and to ask him to come with her to California.

Standing straighter than she had done weeks and chancing an evening without the sling, Jackie practically ran for the car that pulled up out front. It took her to a hotel not four blocks away, one in the _nice_ part of town.

The driver told her the room Nancy was staying in and said she was expecting her.

Jackie ignored the elevator and bounded up the steps. Her arm hurt but it was easy to forget. Her hands were trembling with excitement.

She rapped on the door, which opened immediately. Jackie had been ready to tell Nancy everything and get her advice on how to win Hyde over, if he'd needing persuading.

But it wasn't Nancy at the door.

No, the person on the inside of the room was Hyde. His unexpected presence made Jackie forget the English language.

Instead Jackie could only stare as Hyde shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot. He held out a hand to her and Jackie took it wordlessly.

The room was bathed in a soft glow from a number of candles.

"Wine?" the question was squeaked in her direction.

"Please," Jackie accepted to buy time. Hyde had never squeaked anything in his entire life and how he was practically vibrating with nerves.

He handed her a glass of champagne that had bubbled down the side. It slid over Jackie's fingers and she quickly licked them so they wouldn't get sticky. Hyde's pupils darkened and made Jackie self-conscious at the attention.

He hadn't spoken beyond asking if she'd like a drink and Jackie was increasingly bemused.

"I expected Nancy," she finally noted.

"She's at the Foreman's."

"Why?"

"Because I wanted to talk to you alone."

He was regarding her with an intensity that dragged up along her body, making her aware of every nerve. His gaze was heat on her bare skin.

Jackie took a frantic sip. "What did you want to talk about?" she managed to rasp. He wasn't wearing his sunglasses she realised suddenly. His shades were nowhere in sight. And he was wearing a buttoned shirt with a blazer. Her fingertips were beginning to tingle.

"Us."

One single, simple word and her pulse was thundering.

"I was awake in that hospital room, Jackie. I know you were wondering about what would happen when we got back to Point Place. Whether we had a future."

Jackie's cheeks burned so hot she was sure she was almost glowing in the dim room. She hadn't known he'd heard that but it explained his behaviour in the hours that had followed. How skittish he'd been.

"I knew you were afraid of me disappearing and I did exactly that."

He was berating himself, but Jackie wasn't sure he deserved to shoulder the blame solo. "I asked for time alone," she croaked. "You were just doing what I asked."

Hyde exhaled roughly. "No. I appreciate you trying to give me an out but I could have come to you before now. But I was afraid as well."

"Of what?" The question was barely more than a whisper.

"Of not having a future with you too."

Jackie couldn't move even if she'd wanted to. She was rooted to the spot, completely consumed by what he was saying to her.

"I know I'm terrible at this kind of thing but I figure the least I could do is try and show you that, if you want, I'm all in."

"Ok. I'm here so tell me."

That's when he laughed and it startled her enough that she slapped his arm. "This isn't funny."

"No it isn't. But I said show, not tell."

"What does that even mean?" Jackie demanded when Hyde dropped to his knees. Specifically, one knee. Her hands flew to cover her mouth, mobility issues forgotten in the moment.

Hyde dug around in his pocket and produced a tiny velvet box. He popped it open without preamble.

Jackie gestured at its contents with shaky fingers. "What is that?"

"You know it is a momentous day when Jackie Burkhart can't recognise jewellery when she sees it." His smile was crooked but his eyes betrayed his apprehension. It was a delicate ring made of white gold and a tiny diamond. "I know its small but Red said it had belonged to his mother."

A sob burst out of Jackie's mouth.

"Are you crying?" Hyde asked doubtfully.

"No," Jackie insisted. "Keep talking."

Hyde paused but quickly resumed. "I want you to go to college and start that business with Nancy so we don't have to get married yet. But I want you to know that I go where you go. If you'll have me?"

Jackie could only stare. First at the ring and then at Hyde.

He tugged at his collar and coughed, breaking her reverie. "About now is where you say something. My knee is starting to hurt."

It was such a perfectly Hyde way to end a proposal. And that's what he was doing. Proposing to her, after all they'd been through together.

"Yes."

"Yes?" he repeated slowly. He hadn't been confident she'd say yes, Jackie realised and her heart pounded extra hard. He'd not known but he'd still asked.

" _Yes!_ Of course I'll have you, Steven."

He was on his feet in a flash, pressing a kiss to her lips that soothed any lingering hurt she'd been holding on to. This was right.

 _Epilogue_

"This calls for scotch."

"You think every situation calls for scotch," Hyde informed Hank good naturedly.

"Well, it does," the older man insisted and turned to his liquor cabinet.

W.B. caught his son's eyes and lifted his eyebrows in amusement. The contracts had been signed with the music store and the record company for a number of cross country appearance for a handful of up and coming musicians.

It meant a bit of travel for Hyde but that was fine because Jackie was beginning to franchise her personal shopping business. It had taken barely a year after she'd finished university for hers and Nancy's business to explode. Within nine months, they'd been forced to hire staff to cope with the demand.

Two years on and they were establishing offices in New York and New Orleans. Hyde couldn't be prouder.

As if summoned by his thoughts, Jackie appeared in the office.

"All done?"

"All signed," Hyde confirmed and wound an arm around her shoulder after she'd kissed both Hank and W.B. on the cheek. "How was Annette?"

"Flying off to Florida for some job she couldn't tell me about."

"Is she the reason you smell like champagne?"

"Don't be ridiculous," Jackie replied primly. "Champagne doesn't smell of anything."

Hyde snorted and ran his hand down her arm affectionately, fingers brushing over a fading scar. When they could, Hyde and Jackie caught up with Annette though she seemed to be the one person busier than they were. She'd give them updates on the other FBI agents who had kept them safe. Clyde had become a regional station manager in Hawaii, Eleanor had retired and become a private detective, and Carlos was deep undercover somewhere Annette couldn't say.

"Heading back to Point Place tonight?" W.B. asked.

Jackie nodded. "We promised we'd do Christmas at the Foreman's this year. And Donna is due early January and I can't miss that."

"Their first?" Hank queried, pouring a fourth glass for Jackie.

"Yes, and they've all reached the freak out stage."

"Both of them?"

"Yeah, Eric, Donna and Fez are all a little stressed," Hyde explained. Eric had spent nearly an hour on the phone to him yesterday telling him how nuts things had gotten in his home town. Hyde was pretty pleased he was living all the way out in California these days.

"You'll be there though won't you, W.B?" Jackie turned to the man.

"I'll be there Christmas morning. Angie is in Connecticut with her family this year so I'm all free for a Wisconsin Christmas."

Hyde took another quick sip, Hank really did have outstanding booze. "We should go. It is going to be a long drive."

Jackie smirked and tugged his ear playfully. "I was just going to sleep in the back and let you drive."

Hyde pulled her against him and pressed a light kiss to her lips to the groans of the other men in the room. "Not a chance," he murmured against her mouth.

Jackie laughed lightly. "You're a terrible husband."

"Yeah but you still married me."

Hyde captured his wife's hand in his and ran a thumb over the ring that rested there. It wasn't her first wedding ring but it was the first real one and he never got tired of seeing it or its twin on his own hand.

 **AN: thanks for everyone who read and reviewed. This is the end of the story, contained but hopefully everyone enjoyed the ride. Let me know in a review!  
MD666**


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